As a self-described hockey nerd, the appointment-viewing contest between Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers and Auston Matthews' Toronto Maple Leafs would surely fascinate Mark Scheifele.

Unfortunately, Scheifele's Winnipeg Jets are also in action Tuesday night, meaning that for him, the first matchup between the pair of No. 1 picks will have to be viewed through highlights. That's unless he manages to avoid spoilers along his beeline to the PVR.

For Scheifele, though, that won't diminish a contest that he predicts carries more significance than either McDavid or Matthews would ever let on.

"Oh, 100 percent there will be,'' Scheifele told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun when asked if pride will be on the line. "You could even tell what happened with Patrik Laine and Matthews when they played.

"You see them both downplay it - 'It's just a regular hockey game' - but at the end of the day, both of them want to prove to everyone that they're the big shot. Obviously it's not the No. 1 thing on their mind, but all pro athletes have that extra gear. They want to be that clutch player who comes through in the crunch. There will be more on the line for them Tuesday.''

The studious Scheifele has seen both superstars raise their games to that next level. While sharing a line with them at the World Cup, he gained both an appreciation for their talent and picked up on certain tendencies that have contributed to both players achieving superstar status so early in their careers.

"I've got the dirt on all of them."

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