Edmonton Oilers F Connor McDavid Named Team Captain
Edmonton Oilers F Connor McDavid Named Team Captain on Wednesday, Becoming the Youngest Player to Wear the “C” in NHL History, Surpassing Avs Gabriel Landeskog by 20 Days at 19-Years 266 Days Old
After months of speculation, it was officially announced on Wednesday that Edmonton Oilers F Connor McDavid will be the next team captain in Northern Alberta. The young phenom becomes the youngest player in NHL history to dawn the “C” on his jersey, surpassing Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog by a mere 20 days. McDavid is 19 years 266 days old, while Landeskog was 19 years 286 days old.
Edmonton Oilers F Connor McDavid will serve as the 15th captain in franchise history. New addition Milan Lucic and former 1st overall center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will serve as alternates.
The #Oilers have named @cmcdavid97 the 15th captain in franchise history. @27MilanLucic @ebs_14 & @RNH_93 will serve as alternates. pic.twitter.com/lARVfYozO3
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 5, 2016
via Sportsnet,
The knighting of McDavid has been a poorly kept secret in Edmonton, where management assured fans at the end of last season that the team would name a captain this autumn. As McDavid clearly cemented himself as the best player on the team — and was subsequently named a World Cup captain of Team North America, a team run by Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli and coached by Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan — it became obvious that McDavid would be the one named to lead the Oilers out of a decade-long streak of playoff futility.
Why so soon? Because it was inevitable.
Looking Back at 2015-16
McDavid is coming off a promising rookie season in 2015-16. It was cut short initially due to a shoulder injury that forced him to miss 37 games, but one could argue he was the best player in the NHL upon return. By the time April rolled around, Connor had accumulated 48 points in 45 games scoring above a point-per-game rate and eventually heard his name called as a Calder Trophy finalist.
There’s a reason Las Vegas oddsmakers have included the Oilers phenom as a choice for Hart Trophy winner in 2016-17. It’s only a matter of time before Connor McDavid steals the title of best player in the world.
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As Sportsnet points out, this was simply inevitable. Some experts have asked why the rush to get the “C” on his jersey? They argue it could be unnecessary pressure on a player that already carries the weight of an entire team on his shoulders. Truth be told, if he can handle all the pressure thus far and still perform and be so mature, calm, and collective, then nothing will break this kid.
He’s been under the microscope ever since Don Cherry proclaimed him the next superstar a half decade ago during Coach’s Corner on a broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada.
It reminds me of another NHL captain; Pittsburgh‘s Sidney Crosby. Both came up through the ranks with a big spotlight to be the next big thing. Crosby handled the pressure beautifully and captured a Stanley Cup in his early years. Could Edmonton Oilers F Connor McDavid be writing a similar script?
It’s definitely possible for the Oilers to be a Stanley Cup contender in the next few years. GM Peter Chiarelli still has some work to do, but it feels like this franchise is finally headed in the right direction. You certainly couldn’t ask for a better leader as Connor McDavid is just beginning to scratch the surface in terms of showing us his full capabilities.