5x Pro Bowler weighs in on Connor McDavid's "overrated" criticism; cites Wayne Gretzky's statement in defense of Oilers star

By Zachary Roberts

Modified Jun 11, 2024 19:52 GMT

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Connor McDavid has come under fire for his team's two-game deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. While he hasn't played poorly, the team has struggled immensely. This has led to the "overrated" label being tossed around, but NFL tight end and five-time Pro Bowler George Kittle doesn't want to hear it.

Kittle said on the "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz":

"I'm pretty sure Wayne Gretzky said a couple of years ago that Connor McDavid was better than he ever was or something like that, and I think what Connor McDavid does for the game of hockey, you know, this is fun."

The San Francisco 49ers tight end believes that Gretzky' statement alone makes it impossible to call McDavid overrated. He added that the Oilers star "dominates" frequently, and is one of hockey's absolute best players.

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George Kittle recalls seeing Connor McDavid play for the first time

George Kittle knows the talent that Connor McDavid has and can easily recall the first time he ever saw him play. The tight end is close friends with Filip Forsberg, a star for the Nashville Predators.

George Kittle defended McDavid

George Kittle recited a story on "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz."

"He (Filip Forsberg) was telling me a couple of years ago, he was like, 'Hey, you've got to come to the game this Tuesday, because we're playing the Oilers and you need to watch Connor McDavid play.' And he's never said that about any other player in the league, like no one else has he ever said that about," Kittle said.

So Kittle obliged and went to watch, noting that McDavid operates at a speed unlike any of his peers. The tight end likened it to watching Tyreek Hill, one of the NFL's fastest players, run on the field.

"It's incredible just the different speed he plays at and when you see someone like that handle the puck, the crazy moves that he does, the crazy plays that he does. You can't call him overrated because he shows up all the time," Kittle added.

Kittle also noted that the Oilers are likely only playing in the Stanley Cup Final because they have a player like McDavid. They may be down two games to none, but the tight end believes they're only here because of McDavid, even if they lose games.