To see how far Mark Scheifele has come physically, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff points to the picture from the Winnipeg Jets' first draft hanging in their offices. There’s a big smile from Scheifele -- and also a skinny kid who still needed a lot of work physically to get to the NHL.

While we marvel at the success of teenagers in the NHL right now, Scheifele is a reminder that the best is still coming when the physical side catches up to the skill set.

“It’s proof positive that these players at [23] are much different,” Cheveldayoff said.

Both Cheveldayoff and Blake Wheeler called Scheifele a “self-professed hockey nerd.” He’s passionate about the game, but his passion to develop physically, working with Gary Roberts, has put him on another level.

He was kind of the overlooked star on that Team North America roster in the World Cup. Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon and Johnny Gaudreau got all the love, but it was Scheifele who coaches leaned on consistently on the top line.

And now, 15 games into the season, Scheifele is at the top of the NHL points race, in front of more heralded stars like Steven Stamkos, Connor McDavid and Patrick Kane.