“He’s Making the Best Players in Hockey Look Ordinary” — NHL Fans Say One Superstar Is Already Running Away With the MVP Race
At some point, the numbers stop looking normal.
Then they start looking ridiculous.
That’s exactly where Connor McDavid is right now.
Six games into the season, the Edmonton Oilers superstar already has 17 points, including a dominant four-point performance against the Los Angeles Kings. Most NHL stars would be thrilled with that kind of production over two weeks. McDavid is doing it almost immediately.
And a growing number of hockey fans are already reaching a bold conclusion.
The Hart Trophy race might already belong to him.
That sounds absurd considering how early it is.
It also sounds increasingly difficult to argue against.
The scary part isn’t simply the production.
It’s how effortless it looks.
Every season begins with fans wondering whether anybody can challenge McDavid as the best player in hockey. Every season produces a few exciting MVP candidates. Every season offers hope that somebody new might seize the spotlight.
Then McDavid starts playing.
And suddenly the conversation changes.
Again.
The performance against Los Angeles felt like the latest reminder.
The Kings aren’t a weak opponent. They’re not some rebuilding team learning how to compete. Yet for stretches of the game, McDavid made them look like they were operating at a completely different speed.
That’s what continues separating him from the rest of the sport.
The NHL is filled with elite players.
McDavid often looks like he’s playing a different game.
Fans have become so accustomed to greatness that they’re starting to overlook just how absurd these performances really are. A four-point night from most players would dominate hockey headlines for days.
For McDavid, it almost feels routine.
That’s a dangerous level of dominance.
What’s especially remarkable is that opponents know exactly who they’re trying to stop.
This isn’t a surprise story.
This isn’t an emerging player catching teams off guard.
Every defensive coach enters a game with McDavid at the centre of the game plan.
Every opponent spends days preparing for him.
And somehow he continues producing anyway.
That’s the hallmark of a true MVP.
The Hart Trophy isn’t supposed to reward the player who benefits from favourable circumstances.
It’s supposed to reward the player who consistently changes games regardless of circumstances.
Nobody in hockey does that more often than McDavid.
The most compelling argument may be how dramatically he influences everything around him.
When he’s on the ice, Edmonton becomes more dangerous.
Teammates become more effective.
Defenses become more cautious.
Opponents become more nervous.
Very few athletes in any sport command that type of attention.
McDavid does it every night.
That’s why fans are already discussing the MVP race.
Not because they’re ignoring the rest of the season.
Because they’ve seen this story before.
Every year people search for reasons why somebody else might finally overtake him.
Every year McDavid responds by reminding everyone exactly who he is.
The league’s most explosive offensive player.
The league’s most feared playmaker.
And perhaps the league’s most valuable player.
The challenge for the rest of the field is obvious.
How exactly do you catch somebody producing at this rate?
Other stars are having impressive seasons.
There are talented players all across the NHL putting together strong starts.
The problem is that McDavid is already operating at a level that forces everybody else to chase him.
That’s a difficult position to overcome.
The Hart Trophy race is usually competitive because voters love fresh narratives.
New stars emerge.
Unexpected contenders appear.
Storylines evolve.
Yet there are seasons when one player becomes impossible to ignore.
McDavid appears determined to create another one of those seasons.
His production isn’t just leading the league.
It’s redefining expectations.
Fans are no longer asking whether he’ll finish among the scoring leaders.
They’re asking how large the gap might become.
That’s a frightening development for everyone else.
Perhaps the strongest sign of all is how people talk about him now.
The conversation isn’t about whether he’s the best player in hockey.
That debate feels settled.
The conversation is about where this version of McDavid ranks among the best we’ve ever seen.
That’s a completely different level of discussion.
And the fact that fans are having it only six games into the season tells you everything.
There is still plenty of hockey left to be played.
Injuries happen.
Slumps happen.
The season is long.
Nobody is actually handing out trophies in October.
But if Connor McDavid keeps producing like this, the race may not stay competitive for very long.
Because right now, he isn’t just outperforming the rest of the NHL.
He’s making some of the best players in the world look ordinary.
And that’s exactly why so many fans already believe the Hart Trophy is his to lose.
