McDavid’s scores on the testing, which measured things like vertical jump, broad jump and grip strength, suggest he’s on his way to a walk-in closet stacked with new pairs of shoes. Reeboks, of course. Hopf said McDavid showed as well as any of the 40 or so players testing, and that his power numbers rated as NHL-ready. That’s scary considering McDavid is only 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds. It implies he has a massive ceiling and, as Hopf suggested with a nod to Roberts, that McDavid is one well-trained athlete.
“It comes down to – his nervous system is just prepared,” Hopf said. “He isn’t fully grown yet. He still has another 15 or 20 pounds of muscle to put on him. Yet he still possesses that instinctual and very organic power, which isn’t natural.”
Unnatural in this case means blessed physically. So it seems McDavid shares that gift with the icons who preceded him. For Francis, though, the universal connection between the superstars isn’t about sharing a trait, but sharing the lack of a trait.
“When you look at players, most of the time they all have flaws, whether it’s maybe they don’t skate well, maybe they don’t think the game as well, maybe they aren’t as physically big in stature,” he said. “When you get to the guys you’re talking about, they don’t have flaws that bring them down to everybody else’s level. It allows them to be on a different page.”
According to scouts so far, McDavid fits that bill. He rates as elite on his brain, hands, speed and shot. He’s lauded for his heart and willingness to take a hit to make a play. He has all the trappings of that elusive generational talent. Francis said McDavid’s speed is NHL-ready and that he couldn’t find a flaw in his game.