ESPN ranks two players above Connor McDavid at Winter Olympics

Connor McDavid is unanimously regarded as the best player in the NHL, it’s no longer even a debate. While Nathan MacKinnon may push him sometimes for a comparable season, he’s the only one in the conversation - but not year to year.

This morning, ESPN released a ranking of the best 50 hockey players appearing at the Olympics. Connor McDavid shockingly was ranked 3rd, behind Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

MacKinnon is having a fantastic season with 40 goals and 93 points, and has been dominant over the last three seasons. ESPN totalled a 3 year evaluation range, and considered MacKinnon’s torrid scoring pace after the Christmas break this season to rank him first. They ended up giving MacKinnon a higher offensive and defensive ranking than McDavid.

ESPN also ranked Makar above McDavid due to his defensive impacts and his elite offence. Makar might be the most talented defender in the NHL, but there’s actually some holes in his game when playing away from MacKinnon.

That’s where McDavid comes into the rankings: a shocking third place. Despite having more points per game than MacKinnon in the last three seasons, ESPN ranked McDavid as a lesser offensive player. McDavid’s defensive ratings were much lower than both Avalanche stars.

Simply put, this ranking just doesn’t even pass the smell test. McDavid is the game’s most elite all-around player, with his offensive abilities totally unstoppable. Oilers fans know this after watching him through his entire career. MacKinnon may be up there in the conversation, but ranking McDavid below Makar is just absurd.

Fans across the hockey world were stunned by ESPN’s ranking, and called them out for their ignorance.

After scoring the gold-medal winning goal in the 4 Nations Faceoff, you’d think American sports outlets would remember. It looks like McDavid will have something to prove at this Olympics, and solidify his place as the game’s greatest player.

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