Connor McDavid Part II : Out for "months" - Mod Warning in post 470

[Soli]

Part I


Last few posts:

Soo... does Connor need Junior time?

Ya no. Pouliot needs to stay on that top line he is great in the boards and good at pressuring on the forecheck which opens up ice and creates turn overs. Personally I dont touch that line, it is working great.

Meh I'd go with what worked for most of the last season. McDavid will produce with or without him and what he brings can be emulated by Hendricks well enough, the board battling part anyway.

We need more than 1 line producing. I also want Pouliot playing more minutes.

.... So in other words McDavids attitude and character make you think he will ask for a trade?

Korpikoski shouldn't be anywhere near the top line. The Oilers have been out shot 76-38 while Korpikoski's been on the ice at even strength, which is just awful.

So we all know Davey has 9 + 1 "saved" goals = 10 pts in 9 games, right?

Just checking.

I think he's more concerned that McDavid will walk the moment he hits FA.

Click to read more...

 

[Faelko]

The Oilers will literally bury McDavid in money to keep him in the organization.

 

[Up the Irons]

Hard to believe it took McDavid all of 5 games to emerge as the team's best player.

 

[Shredator]

Hard to believe it took McDavid all of 5 games to emerge as the team's best player.

And its not even close.
He really is the best player on the team.
His speed and hands are amazing. He will beat you 1 on 1.
1 on 2
1 on 3....etc


I have yet to see McDavid use his shot.

 

[McShogun99]

Hard to believe it took McDavid all of 5 games to emerge as the team's best player.

You mean 5 preseason games? He make's Hall and RNH look like Klinkhammer and Gazdic.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

jadeddog might get to keep his avatar until New Years now instead of Christmas thanks to McDavid's "no goal" against the Kings

 

[Klimando Kostani]

jadeddog might get to keep his avatar until New Years now instead of Christmas thanks to McDavid's "no goal" against the Kings

What was the bet?

 

[The Batman]

After the second game I thought he was the team's best player. Visually. Glad he now has the stats to back it up.


This kid just does everything so damn well. First off, I'm very impressed with his defensive play. The way he uses his speed to backcheck and intercept passes is incredible. Attributes which has landed him a spot on the second PK unit already... I don't think even the Nuge played on the PK until midway thru his rookie year?


As for his hands... wow. This kid is going to score a crap load of highlight reel goals. Haven't seen an Oiler that consistently pulled me out of my seat since the days of Hemsky. A rookie and already making NHL players look silly as he blazes by with the puck glued on his stick. I wonder how a line of Eberle-McDavid-Yakupov would look... two of our best snipers on their off wing to flank the kid. Maybe:


Eberle-McDavid-Yakupov
Hall-RNH-Draisaitl
Pouliot-Lander-Slepyshev

 

[FDBluth]

McDavid really pisses off players on the other team when he's defending them. He is so damn good at tracking the puck defensively. It's quite remarkable. His positioning from a systems context needs some work, but his one-on-one defensive ability is exceptional--soon to be the best in the league for a centerman. I think he could win some Selkes in his career if the voters are smart enough to realize that you can be a really good offensive and defensive player at the same time.

There was one play in the Kings game where Doughty had the puck in his own zone attempting to break out, and McDavid just kept on angling him off perfectly while accelerating towards him. McDavid made him stumble, then got his stuck on the puck, and then Doughty had to rush a half-assed clearance behind his own net to no one in particular. McDavid basically made him look like an AHLer who wasn't ready to play the game at a higher speed. And Doughty is one of the best puck movers around.

Really incredible to watch McDavid...just an all-around fantastic talent. And every game he shows something different. He displayed some surprising down-low strength in that last game, too. Excited to see what he does next game!

 

[LaGu]

McDavid really pisses off players on the other team when he's defending them. He is so damn good at tracking the puck defensively. It's quite remarkable. His positioning from a systems context needs some work, but his one-on-one defensive ability is exceptional--soon to be the best in the league for a centerman. I think he could win some Selkes in his career if the voters are smart enough to realize that you can be a really good offensive and defensive player at the same time.

There was one play in the Kings game where Doughty had the puck in his own zone attempting to break out, and McDavid just kept on angling him off perfectly while accelerating towards him. McDavid made him stumble, then got his stuck on the puck, and then Doughty had to rush a half-assed clearance behind his own net to no one in particular. McDavid basically made him look like an AHLer who wasn't ready to play the game at a higher speed. And Doughty is one of the best puck movers around.

Really incredible to watch McDavid...just an all-around fantastic talent. And every game he shows something different. He displayed some surprising down-low strength in that last game, too. Excited to see what he does next game!

Datsuyk, Toews and Bergeron are not good offensively?

It's normally argued the other way around. Anyway, Selke takes time and he needs to be good in the face-off circle before being considered.

 

[FDBluth]

Datsuyk, Toews and Bergeron are not good offensively?

It's normally argued the other way around. Anyway, Selke takes time and he needs to be good in the face-off circle before being considered.

Not at all, but McDavid will likely be a Crosby-type pointgetter. He'll be a tier above those guys offensively. Sometimes I think people tend to assume that if you're an extreme top-end point scorer, that that means you're sacrificing something defensively. But yes, I agree that most who win the Selke are usually good offensively as well. Just not at the level of a Crosby or Ovechkin.

McDavid will need to round out his game to become a Selke candidate. But his run-of-play defensive abilities are already very evident not even 10 games into his career.

 

[1Gold Standard]

man, this obsession with a 200 ft. game and Selke trophy nominations. and we wonder why goals and offensive flair is drying up at the NHL level. Go figure! If McDavid is going to bring Edmonton out of the wilderness he needs to first and foremost be concerned about being theeeeeeeeeeee most dynamic, creative scoring center in the game and winning Art Ross trophies...McDavid's hockey IQ and skills alone will be enough ensure he'll be competent defensively. Offense GOALS and Assists is where he has to earn his $$$ and fame. If he does that, Edmonton will have multiple parades.

 

[AJGass4]

I am quite amazed at his hockey IQ. It's like it's on a completely different level compared to the rest of the team.

It's like his head is on a swivel. He is constantly watching every player on the ice. He also surprises me with his toughness. He ain't no wimp and the kid is a whopping 18 years old.

Sometimes I cannot believe he is an Oiler. How lucky were we?

 

[McSpecial DraiBlend]

Loving his physical play too.
Not getting pushed around and usually first ti initiate contact to create separation.

 

[Insta]

man, this obsession with a 200 ft. game and Selke trophy nominations. and we wonder why goals and offensive flair is drying up at the NHL level. Go figure! If McDavid is going to bring Edmonton out of the wilderness he needs to first and foremost be concerned about being theeeeeeeeeeee most dynamic, creative scoring center in the game and winning Art Ross trophies...McDavid's hockey IQ and skills alone will be enough ensure he'll be competent defensively. Offense GOALS and Assists is where he has to earn his $$$ and fame. If he does that, Edmonton will have multiple parades.

You win in the playoffs by playing a 200 foot game. Look how much trouble Pittsburgh has had when things tighten up come playoff time.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

You win in the playoffs by playing a 200 foot game. Look how much trouble Pittsburgh has had when things tighten up come playoff time.

that and Fleury has been spotty at best
plus, Pittsburgh has never had the back-end Chicago has

 

[1Gold Standard]

You win in the playoffs by playing a 200 foot game. Look how much trouble Pittsburgh has had when things tighten up come playoff time.

That's not what I was arguing. Edmonton's championship aspirations in 3-4 years is not predicated on Connor McDavid being a Selke Trophy nominee. He can be defensively responsible based on his skill set alone, but he has to be a creative, dynamic, scoring and playmaking center. Others can be the Selke chasers.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

The people on the main boards saying Mcdavids skills wouldn't translate sure disappeared fast.

 

[McOvechking]

McDavid's ability to steal the puck in the offensive zone is Datsyukian. There. I said it.

 

[The Nuge]

That's not what I was arguing. Edmonton's championship aspirations in 3-4 years is not predicated on Connor McDavid being a Selke Trophy nominee. He can be defensively responsible based on his skill set alone, but he has to be a creative, dynamic, scoring and playmaking center. Others can be the Selke chasers.

Why can't he do both? Datsyuk's defense didn't stop him from being a 30 goal scorer, and very nearly a 100 point player. Has Kopitar's defensive ability stopped the Kings from winning cups?

 

[Aceboogie]

I think in his peak he may be a top 3 vote getter in the selke voting. Selke winners tend to have to sacrifice a decent amount of offense to get it. McDavid already has Datsyuk like takeaway ability and smart D positioning, but what will get the selke is a conscious and consistant effort to be on D side of puck, and that takes away from offense.

I thinkw e are better suited to let Mcdavid run wild offensively and let RNH/LD handle shutdown roles

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

McDavid is our only 1st OA who can actually be like a Tarasenko-like player and solo dominate. The rest need help. Not a bad thing just a different type of 1OA than we've gotten.

None of the others can move like he can around other players.

 

[Aerrol]

McDavid is our only 1st OA who can actually be like a Tarasenko-like player and solo dominate. The rest need help. Not a bad thing just a different type of 1OA than we've gotten.

None of the others can move like he can around other players.

lol really? Tarasenko wishes he could be what McDavid projects he'll become. McDavid already has way more exciting raw talent IMO. Tarasenko only beats him in his shot quality.

I agree with Mr. Writer, I find the obsession with two way play so goddamn boring. I want McDavid to be a respectable defensive player of course, but you better believe I'd much rather he take risks offensively instead of trying to play it safe all the time. The Pen's problems aren't Crosby and Malkin's two way play...it's the rest of their team. They have no defence left, Fleury has been a wreck any years where they had a chance since the cup. If anything, the critique you can make of Crosby and Malkin is that they can't turn it up offensively anymore in the playoffs. They seem to be getting frustrated and unable to make plays like they were before. A lot of that is lack of support, but as the Pens are my second team, I think Crosby and Malkin need to be taking more risks offensively, not less, for them to be successful again.

 

[HeavyHitter99]

Anyone remember 2-3 games into the season when Mcdavid and the whole team had a slow start and people (including some Oiler fans) were saying that Mcdavid was basically just an average 1st overall pick? Good times

 

[backhandsauce]

Wait till he is 23-25 years old a few pounds heavier and used the the NHL game.

Look out.