Less than four months after McDavid’s overtime goal gave Canada a 3-2 victory against the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Doug Armstrong and Bruce Cassidy are witnessing the Oilers captain take his game to a level the Panthers probably haven’t seen before, both in terms of his play and leadership.

McDavid remains the centerpiece of not just Edmonton but the NHL. He’s won the Art Ross Trophy as the scoring leader five times and the Hart Trophy as the regular-season’s most valuable player three times. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s top player last year despite losing the Cup.

Ahead of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final for a rematch with the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid told reporters that this season's journey to the Cup "feels very normal" compared to last year.