Helene Elliott: Connor McDavid is great, but Wayne Gretzky is still the Greatest One

LOS ANGELES — Go ahead, call Connor McDavid the best player in the NHL.

He's a franchise player who became a franchise changer, a spectacularly talented kid who matured into a man while rallying the Edmonton Oilers past the Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

He was commanding in leading the Oilers past the Calgary Flames and to the Western Conference final against the Colorado Avalanche. He's gifted with speed that breaks defenders' ankles and vision that makes him an uncannily accurate passer. With 26 points in his first 12 playoff