Oilers' Taylor Hall carrying World Championship high into offseason

Taylor Hall hasn't felt this good in a long, long time.

No more than two weeks ago, he was thriving in meaningful, zealous, championship-caliber hockey for the first time in a half-decade. He was popping, spraying and drinking champagne out of a silver chalice after winning a World Championship for Team Canada. What was this feeling?

He was skating alongside a superstar in Sidney Crosby, with his old buddy Jordan Eberle along for the ride, too. He was being taught a system employed by a national-level coach. He was the tournament's leading goal-scorer at even strength.

It was a dream.

"You kind of forget how fun it is to be a part of a group of guys who win and have results,” Hall told Jason Gregor of the Edmonton Journal. "And it's not an insult to anyone in the (Oilers') organization or anything, but it just didn't happen for us the past five years.

"To end the season like that and to go into the summer feeling good not only about yourself, but what you can bring to a team, is a really good feeling."

And it could all become reality.

That national-level coach, Todd McLellan, has since been named head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Hall will have the prospect touted as the next Crosby, Connor McDavid, playing at his side for years to come.

"I'm certainly more excited for next season than I was a month ago, and after experiencing winning again, I want my teammates to feel the same in Edmonton next year.

"I've learned a lot about myself on and off the ice the past five years, and even though it was difficult and frustrating, I truly believe it helped me. I'm better prepared to deal with adversity now. I'm mentally tougher and winning gold reinforced and reignited my passion for the game."

Though McDavid has a learning curve to scale himself, he's expected to contribute at a high level immediately. That could have a profound impact on the first-overall pick from five years ago, who said playing alongside Crosby elevated his own performance.

"Mainly, I think he forced me to raise my game ... he forced me to play at a higher level than I ever have before," Hall said. "It was fun to have that pressure and to contribute to the team was also rewarding."

Soak it all in, Taylor.