Connor McDavid, like Jordan or Gretzky or LeBron, transcends his sport | Michael Arace

Former player and current TV analyst Jody Shelley on Edmonton’s Connor McDavid: “He knows what you’re doing two steps before you even know.”

Those who have been watching the NHL Western Conference semifinal series between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames share a certain, powerful feeling.

Those who have been watching – be they a grizzled fan who has seen thousands of hockey games or a non-fan who happened to surf over after the late NBA game – understand that this certain, powerful feeling is a rare thing.

The feeling is this: Oilers center Connor McDavid is playing a different game than everyone else; he might be the greatest player who ever lived; at the very least, he is a transformative and transcendent presence.

McDavid is transformative because he is the quintessence of a burgeoning era of fleet, skilled forwards and higher-scoring games.

He is transcendent because his greatness makes him a figure that rises above the game. He is like Wayne Gretzky. And if you’re watching him, you’re not afraid to say it.

Kevin Lowe played 17 years in Edmonton and won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers, four with Gretzky. He has played more games for the Oilers (1,037, not counting 172 playoff games) than anyone else. He also served as Oilers coach and general manager and still works for the team.

Earlier this week, Sportsnet asked Lowe to “assess what McDavid is right now, in terms of greatness.” And Lowe answered:

“Connor reminds me of Michael Jordan, how unbelievable he was. And the Bulls were a great team. But Jordan was just worth the price of admission. I won’t say that Wayne wasn’t because he’s certainly filled a lot of buildings. It just seems that the awe factor with Connor, because he’s bigger than Wayne and Wayne was subtly flashy where Connor has incredible speed, et cetera, et cetera, so …

“It’s great for hockey, it’s great for Edmonton and Alberta, but really good for the NHL that they have a bona fide, must-see-TV-type of athlete in the league.”

Nobody is saying that McDavid will have the career Gretzky had in another era. Put it this way: Alexander Ovechkin has averaged 46 goals over 16 ½ seasons and he’s still 113 goals behind Gretzky’s career record of 894.

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Former player and current TV analyst Jody Shelley on Edmonton’s Connor McDavid: “He knows what you’re doing two steps before you even know.”

It’s unlikely anyone will ever catch Gretzky’s all-time records for assists (1,963) and points (2,857). There is only one Great One.

McDavid, though, like Jordan or LeBron James – or Bobby Orr or Mario Lemieux – is redefining greatness in his era.

The NHL is coming out of a low-scoring era and is teeming with modern athletes who are bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled. They are at least the match of today’s hulking, highly technical and eminently gifted goaltenders.

McDavid is better than everyone.

The Oilers lead the Battle of Alberta – a spectacle in an of itself – by 3 games to 1. The Flames were supposed to be the better team.

The Flames’ top line of Johnny Gaudreau-Elias Lindholm-Matthew Tkachuk combined for 301 points (3.6/game) during the regular season. The Flames, on paper, are deeper, especially on the blue line, and they have the better goaltender.

“We’ve let one guy beat us a few nights now,” Tkachuk said after Game 3. “They’ve got one player who plays half the game and is playing some great hockey right now.”

In most cases, a superior team can shut down a superstar. Not the case here.

“Nobody has ever been able to skate like McDavid – ever,” said Daryl Reaugh, a former Oilers goaltender who, as the longtime color analyst for the Dallas Stars, has one of the most discerning eyes in the television booth.

“He might not have that (abrasive), competitive nastiness like Jordan,” Reaugh said, “but nobody has ever been able to skate like McDavid and handle the puck at the same time.”

Jody Shelley, another discerning eye in the TV booth, picked it up from there.

“He’s conducting,” he said. “You think you’ve got him and then fakes shot and fakes pass and goes sideways and backwards. It’s crazy what he’s doing out there. I watch my kid watching McDavid – ‘Whoa! Did you see that?!’ – and I think, ‘That’s how I watched Gretzky.’ You can feel the anticipation when the puck gets on his stick.”

In 11 playoff games, McDavid has 19 assists – 16 primary – and 25 points. He is not the sole reason the Oilers are a game away from the conference finals.

McDavid has a Scottie Pippen in Leon Draisaitl. What’s more, Oilers goaltender Mike Smith, 40, is somehow outplaying Jacob Markstrom, and Smith is using his puck-handling skills to thwart the Flames’ preferred dump-and-grind system.

“But McDavid’s at a different level, just like Jordan or Gretzky,” Shelley said. “He knows what you’re doing two steps before you even know. He’s one of those leaders who makes everyone better. Zach Hyman? Evander Kane? They’re good players, yeah, but they’re great right now.”

I saw Gretzky in his prime. It’s like that. I was fortunate to have covered Jordan’s first three NBA Finals. It’s like that. Bill Cartwright? Horace Grant? They’re good players but Jordan made them great.

I want to see an Oilers-Colorado Avalanche conference final, with the best player against the best team. McDavid makes you want more McDavid.

marace@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL playoffs: Connor McDavid looks like a fast Wayne Gretzky