Edmonton Oilers

Analyst Labels Connor McDavid Best Player to Ever Put on Skates

Somehow, Connor McDavid keeps raising the bar and proving he’s in a league of his own.

by
Jackson Weber
February 18, 2026

Connor McDavid was at it again on Wednesday. With Sidney Crosby out for most of the game due to injury and Nathan MacKinnon battling an ailment of his own, the world’s best player had a major target on his back — yet he continued to lead Team Canada, just as he has all tournament long.

It should come as no surprise to see McDavid work his magic in an elimination game on the international stage; he’s undeniable. For fans who don’t watch him nightly in Edmonton, this past week has offered a glimpse into just how remarkable he truly is, and one analyst went as far as to say he believes McDavid is the best player to ever put on skates.

Sportsnet analyst Justin Bourne shared the post on X (formerly Twitter), heaping the highest of praise on No. 97.

Bourne wrote:

“Connor McDavid is the best to ever put on skates. Has to be. You just can’t be better at this sport than he currently is, surely he’s maxed it all out,”

The 29-year-old finished with 2 points (two assists) along with seven shots, while handling 21:48 minutes of ice-time, pushing his tournament totals up to 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in just four games.

It’s quite the statement from Bourne, but watching McDavid — not just at these Olympics, but over the past few years in back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals — has been extraordinary, displaying a combination of speed, skill, and sheer will unlike anything we’ve seen in quite some time.

All that’s been missing is finishing the job at the very end — though he’ll have the opportunity to do just that in Milan, with a gold medal still very much within his and Team Canada’s sights, thanks to heroics from Nick Suzuki and Mitch Marner late in Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime quarterfinal win over Czechia.

Team Canada’s semifinal game will go down on Friday against either Finland or Sweden, should they manage to pull off the upset over the Americans. If Crosby remains sidelined, even more responsibility will fall on McDavid’s shoulders. That said, given what he’s shown so far, there’s no reason to believe he won’t rise to the occasion and continue proving he’s not just the best player in the game today, but one of the best to ever do it.

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