Connor McDavid recorded his latest hat trick Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators, and if you're looking for insight into how he did it, well, good luck getting it from the man himself. McDavid isn't known for being a great interview—he's polite, professional, and about as revealing as a brick wall when it comes to discussing his own brilliance.
So instead, let's hear from the guys who have the best seats in the house: his teammates.
"Right now, he's attacking every chance he has. He's taking them to the net, whether he's shooting it or beating guys and taking it there. Obviously, he can do it with his speed and his hands. You get some confidence, and that's what he's feeling right now. So we want to encourage that, and I'm sure he'll keep going here," said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
McDavid isn't just doing what he always does. He's doing it with an edge, an aggressiveness that's elevated even his ridiculous baseline. Every shift feels like an attack. Every touch of the puck carries danger. And when a player of his caliber gets rolling with confidence, the league just has to hope it passes quickly.
Spoiler: it usually doesn't.
Nugent-Hopkins has spent years watching McDavid up close, skating on his wing, feeding him pucks, and trying to keep pace. Yet even he sounds slightly bewildered when trying to articulate what's happening on this current tear.
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"There's always another level that somehow he gets to. But he's playing some phenomenal hockey right now, so we're trying to keep up, Himes and I. Not always easy, but no, he's playing some great hockey," Nugent-Hopkins added.
It's not just that McDavid is fast or skilled. It's that he operates in a space between what's possible and what's absurd for even talented NHL players, and still makes it look routine.
Kasperi Kapanen, freshly back from injury, has been watching from the sidelines during his rehab. His perspective is valuable precisely because he's been forced to watch as a spectator rather than a participant. Sometimes you need distance to truly appreciate what you're seeing.
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"I mean, is anybody surprised here that this guy's doing this stuff? I've been hurt, so I've been watching (him), and it's just remarkable what he can do with his speed and his hands. And it seems that he just sees everything out there. So happy to be on his side," Kapanen said.
Being on McDavid's side versus trying to defend him is the difference between enjoying a masterpiece and being victimized by one. McDavid doesn't just beat you with speed or skill—he beats you with vision. He sees plays developing before they happen, anticipates where people will be, and exploits gaps that most players don't even know exist. Defenders can study video, know his tendencies, understand what's coming, and still find themselves hopelessly behind the play.
And if this sounds like fan-girling, that's because a power play goal, penalty shot, and insurance goal deserve as much.
"I told him (after) I scored that goal, that I'm going for the Molson Cup this month. I think he took that personally," began Curtis Lazar. "But no, he's world-class at what he does. You marvel at the things he does. He's a determined individual and a great guy as well."
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The hat trick against Nashville is just the latest exhibit in an ongoing showcase. McDavid now has multiple hat tricks this season, continuing a career filled with them. The numbers have become almost numbing at this point—another multi-point night, another highlight-reel goal, another reminder that he's playing a different game than everyone else.
But what makes this stretch different is the intent behind it. He's not just accumulating points passively through skill. He is playing arguably the best hockey of his career. There's a deliberateness to his game right now, a ruthlessness that goes beyond his normal excellence. Nugent-Hopkins mentioned the attacking mindset, and it's evident on every shift.
The hat trick extends McDavid's point streak and reinforces what's becoming increasingly clear: he's in the middle of one of those stretches that will define his season. Whether it translates to playoff success remains to be seen, but right now, the Oilers are riding the wave of a generational talent operating at his absolute peak. His linemates are doing their best to keep up, the opposition is doing their best to slow him down, and neither group is having much success.
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