Player Discussion Connor McDavid Part V: Super Sophomore

[Bryanbryoil]

McDavid will be named captain just before the beginning of training camp.

It should be after camp at least IMO.

 

[The Panther]

The fact that a player is "under pressure" does not mean he should be captain. Every NHL player is under pressure. Being captain requires a certain maturity (debatable, with any 19-year-old), a good relationship (preferably long-established) with the coach, and an ability to talk to teammates and socially command respect from them. I don't think McDavid scores that high (yet) on these evaluations.

Wayne Gretzky became captain in his 5th pro-season, which was considered quite young at the time (he was 22).

I also thought it was absurd when Crosby became captain as such a young age (and I was not alone). It seemed to pay dividends in 2008 and 2009, but what about 2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014? 2015? Every year was a playoff choke by the Pens and Crosby, who under-performed when the going got tough.

Anyway, age is not the main issue of team-captaincy -- the main issue is who commands respect and gets on with the coach in the locker-room. I guess we fans don't really know about this, so we have to leave it to the team.

 

[kurtcobang]

It should be after camp at least IMO.

Im sure it will be announced after the pre season, but i couldnt care less if it is before, during or after camp. I dont see anyway he doesn't come out of the tunnel grand opening night at rogers arena with the C on his chest where it belongs.
He is our franchise, and he will be a top player in the league as soon as next season. He doesnt whine or feel entitled when dealing with ref's like Hall did in his first few seasons. Last seasons "offside" against i think Ana that cost us the game was a perfect example of how to handle by connor. He could have blown up and embarrassed the officials but he just shook his head and held his tongue. Pretty good judgement for such a young player.
Make him captain before game 1 and enjoy the show

 

[McPuritania]

If anyone can handle the C at a young age, it's Connor McDavid.

 

[snipes]

If anyone can handle the C at a young age, it's Connor McDavid.

Bingo. Nothing further needs to be said really.

Besides, this doesn't seem like a big deal. He's already the undisputed leader of this team, seems natural. His teammates see him as the leader. This is McDavids team.

I hope they just put the "C" on him before opening night against the Flames and he skates out of the tunnel, with a 2-3 second delay before the next guy at Rogers Place like a boss.

 

[Spawn]

It should be after camp at least IMO.

Why does it matter?

Bingo. Nothing further needs to be said really.

Besides, this doesn't seem like a big deal. He's already the undisputed leader of this team, seems natural. His teammates see him as the leader. This is McDavids team.

I hope they just put the "C" on him before opening night against the Flames and he skates out of the tunnel, with a 2-3 second delay before the next guy at Rogers Place like a boss.

He'll be the last player introduced on opening night and the building will go ape **** bananas.

 

[snipes]

Why does it matter?



He'll be the last player introduced on opening night and the building will go ape **** bananas.

The place will be electric. Even watching on TV, all Oil fans will have tingles going through their body. It's a new era.

 

[Wadewilson]

I also thought it was absurd when Crosby became captain as such a young age (and I was not alone). It seemed to pay dividends in 2008 and 2009, but what about 2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014? 2015? Every year was a playoff choke by the Pens and Crosby, who under-performed when the going got tough.

This part confuses me... are you saying they didnt win more cups because Crosby was the Captain?

 

[Spawn]

The fact that a player is "under pressure" does not mean he should be captain. Every NHL player is under pressure. Being captain requires a certain maturity (debatable, with any 19-year-old), a good relationship (preferably long-established) with the coach, and an ability to talk to teammates and socially command respect from them. I don't think McDavid scores that high (yet) on these evaluations.

How could you possibly know if he scores high on these things or not? Has he done/said anything to suggest he doesn't score high in those evaluations? Have any of his teammates (past or present) or coaches (past or present) said anything to suggest he doesn't score high in those evaluations?

I also thought it was absurd when Crosby became captain as such a young age (and I was not alone). It seemed to pay dividends in 2008 and 2009, but what about 2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014? 2015? Every year was a playoff choke by the Pens and Crosby, who under-performed when the going got tough.

The Pens won two cups and made it the cup finals in another year with Crosby as captain. In a 9 year span there's only one team that can match or better that. The Chicago Blackhawks. And I bet I don't have to say who their captain was for all of those cups and how old he was when he was named team captain. These are the two most successful franchises since the 04/05 lockout and Crosby/Toews are 2 of the youngest ever captains.

McDavid will do just fine with the captaincy if they give it to him. Dude is mature well beyond his years, already viewed upon as the leader of the team by his teammates and is one of the very best players in the world.

 

[snipes]

This part confuses me... are you saying they didnt win more cups because Crosby was the Captain?

I'm confused by the logic as well, you're not alone.

 

[Sniper99]

I'll guess 85-86 points.

 

[MinisterOfSinister]

I think he flirts with 90 points if he stays healthy.

 

[The Panther]

This part confuses me... are you saying they didnt win more cups because Crosby was the Captain?

No. I'm simply saying that there is no clear conclusion to be drawn from Crosby's being captain at a very young age. His being made captain may indeed have helped the Pens win the 2009 Cup, which they wouldn't have otherwise... or it may have contributed to their numerous playoff disappointments during the six consecutive playoffs that followed. No way of knowing. We all saw Crosby having a minor meltdown in the series with Philly when he vented to the media about how much he disliked their team, and did silly things like fire an opponent's stick down the ice. This occurred years after he was named captain -- was that something a 32-year-old vet with more experience would have done? Did that inspire his teammates' trust in his leadership capabilities?

(Understand I'm not knocking Crosby, whom I like; I'm just using him as a convenient and well-known example.)

In my view, no NHL player should EVER be named team captain before at least his fifth or sixth season, if that (might be exceptions for an expansion team or a ridiculously 'young' team).

McDavid will be the offensive leader on the ice, with or without a 'C' on his sweater. He doesn't really need the extra pressure, and the team's veterans who have paid their dues don't really need a teenager acting as their leader.

 

[Spawn]

No. I'm simply saying that there is no clear conclusion to be drawn from Crosby's being captain at a very young age. His being made captain may indeed have helped the Pens win the 2009 Cup, which they wouldn't have otherwise... or it may have contributed to their numerous playoff disappointments during the six consecutive playoffs that followed. No way of knowing. We all saw Crosby having a minor meltdown in the series with Philly when he vented to the media about how much he disliked their team, and did silly things like fire an opponent's stick down the ice. This occurred years after he was named captain -- was that something a 32-year-old vet with more experience would have done? Did that inspire his teammates' trust in his leadership capabilities?

(Understand I'm not knocking Crosby, whom I like; I'm just using him as a convenient and well-known example.)

In my view, no NHL player should EVER be named team captain before at least his fifth or sixth season, if that (might be exceptions for an expansion team or a ridiculously 'young' team).

McDavid will be the offensive leader on the ice, with or without a 'C' on his sweater. He doesn't really need the extra pressure, and the team's veterans who have paid their dues don't really need a teenager acting as their leader.

5 of the past 8 Stanley Cups have been won by teams that named their captain after that players 1st or 2nd year in the league. Your view seems outdated and there is no evidence to suggest that it has harmed either player or their team. There's ample evidence (multiple times winning the cup for both Toews and Crosby) that it was a great move for both organizations.

 

[Fourier]

The fact that a player is "under pressure" does not mean he should be captain. Every NHL player is under pressure. Being captain requires a certain maturity (debatable, with any 19-year-old), a good relationship (preferably long-established) with the coach, and an ability to talk to teammates and socially command respect from them. I don't think McDavid scores that high (yet) on these evaluations.

Wayne Gretzky became captain in his 5th pro-season, which was considered quite young at the time (he was 22).

I also thought it was absurd when Crosby became captain as such a young age (and I was not alone). It seemed to pay dividends in 2008 and 2009, but what about 2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014? 2015? Every year was a playoff choke by the Pens and Crosby, who under-performed when the going got tough.

Anyway, age is not the main issue of team-captaincy -- the main issue is who commands respect and gets on with the coach in the locker-room. I guess we fans don't really know about this, so we have to leave it to the team.

I disagree respectfully with your assessment of McDavid with respect to the qualities you outline.

Despite being only 19 he is incredibly mature. It really is a defining characteristic of his. And he has been this way since he was a young kid. I'd say that he is much more prepared in this respect than Crosby was. More like Toews or Landeskog in that respect.

The vets love McDavid. They appreciate not only his incredible skill but also his approach to the game. Away from the rink in a social setting I might agree. But I don't think this is nearly as significant as respecting the kid for what he can do on the ice, for his work ethic and for the way he treats people.

Unless I am reading him wrong it seems to me that McLellan has already fully bought into McDavid as the captain.

Finally, listening to McDavid, I think he really wants this. It may add even more external pressure to the kid but he thrives on that. I doubt that it would impact his play negatively since I get the sense that the team would be 100% onside.

 

[snipes]

Connor McDavid already is the captain. This is his team and the McDavid era in the NHL is just beginning. Putting the C on his jersey is just a formality.

He's not your normal 19 year old.

 

[The Panther]

I disagree respectfully with your assessment of McDavid with respect to the qualities you outline.

Yeesh! I'm not assessing McDavid's qualities -- as a 19-year-old goes, he seems (how do I really know? I'm not in the locker room) very grounded and mature. I think he's fantastic, and I have no doubt that he'll be deservedly in the running for team captain sooner or later.

My opinion is simply that teenagers should not be team captains, even if the teenager in question is the most mature teenager in the history of the world. It's something you have to earn over time. You don't earn it because you're a media hype who's done a lot of interviews with a stern face.

 

[duul]

Yeesh! I'm not assessing McDavid's qualities -- as a 19-year-old goes, he seems (how do I really know? I'm not in the locker room) very grounded and mature. I think he's fantastic, and I have no doubt that he'll be deservedly in the running for team captain sooner or later.

My opinion is simply that teenagers should not be team captains, even if the teenager in question is the most mature teenager in the history of the world. It's something you have to earn over time. You don't earn it because you're a media hype who's done a lot of interviews with a stern face.

Do you think it was a mistake for Pittsburgh and Chicago to name Crosby and Toews captains so early in their careers? I'm not so sure. I do believe Colorado made a mistake with Landeskog because he is a few tiers below these other players skill wise.

 

[Fourier]

Yeesh! I'm not assessing McDavid's qualities -- as a 19-year-old goes, he seems (how do I really know? I'm not in the locker room) very grounded and mature. I think he's fantastic, and I have no doubt that he'll be deservedly in the running for team captain sooner or later.

My opinion is simply that teenagers should not be team captains, even if the teenager in question is the most mature teenager in the history of the world. It's something you have to earn over time. You don't earn it because you're a media hype who's done a lot of interviews with a stern face.

You position is very old school! I can respect that. But for me there are exceptions. Gretzky was the Oilers Captain in many ways before actually getting the C. While Fogolin was a warrior who everyone respected, the Oilers were Gretzky's team by the end of his first year. Had he been named Captain I am convinced it would have been as smooth a transition in the off season of 1980 as it was when Fogolin handed it over in '83. But those were different times.

Today young players are looked to to lead on the ice much earlier than they were in the old days. But I agree that many are not ready for the full scope of the role as Captain even if they are top talents. None of the Oiler previous high picks would have been ready at this age. Hall was the alpha dog but I doubt he had the proper temperament or maturity for the role out of the gate. Nuge is extremely mature and seems to be very well respected. BUt he had not established himself as a leader on the ice and was likely too quite to lead in the room. McDavid for me is different. Most significantly, the way the vets talk about him is very different from how they spoke about the other kids. This is a very special kid who they will be willing to follow. I suspect that the only other option to naming McDavid as Captain would be to continue without one. Anyone else would seem like a placeholder and that is not really fair.

 

[duul]

You position is very old school! I can respect that. But for me there are exceptions. Gretzky was the Oilers Captain in many ways before actually getting the C. While Fogolin was a warrior who everyone respected, the Oilers were Gretzky's team by the end of his first year. Had he been named Captain I am convinced it would have been as smooth a transition in the off season of 1980 as it was when Fogolin handed it over in '83. But those were different times.

Today young players are looked to to lead on the ice much earlier than they were in the old days. But I agree that many are not ready for the full scope of the role as Captain even if they are top talents. None of the Oiler previous high picks would have been ready at this age. Hall was the alpha dog but I doubt he had the proper temperament or maturity for the role out of the gate. Nuge is extremely mature and seems to be very well respected. BUt he had not established himself as a leader on the ice and was likely too quite to lead in the room. McDavid for me is different. Most significantly, the way the vets talk about him is very different from how they spoke about the other kids. This is a very special kid who they will be willing to follow. I suspect that the only other option to naming McDavid as Captain would be to continue without one. Anyone else would seem like a placeholder and that is not really fair.

If you watch his recent interviews at Biosteel being asked about the captaincy, he went from saying it would be a tremendous honour to lead the Edmonton Oilers, to by the end of the camp saying "I don't want to talk about that until later".

Seems to me he has already been told by the team he will be the captain. The way his answers changed, he definitely gave it away that he was keeping it under wraps.

 

[Wadewilson]

No. I'm simply saying that there is no clear conclusion to be drawn from Crosby's being captain at a very young age. His being made captain may indeed have helped the Pens win the 2009 Cup, which they wouldn't have otherwise... or it may have contributed to their numerous playoff disappointments during the six consecutive playoffs that followed. No way of knowing. We all saw Crosby having a minor meltdown in the series with Philly when he vented to the media about how much he disliked their team, and did silly things like fire an opponent's stick down the ice. This occurred years after he was named captain -- was that something a 32-year-old vet with more experience would have done? Did that inspire his teammates' trust in his leadership capabilities?

(Understand I'm not knocking Crosby, whom I like; I'm just using him as a convenient and well-known example.)

In my view, no NHL player should EVER be named team captain before at least his fifth or sixth season, if that (might be exceptions for an expansion team or a ridiculously 'young' team).

McDavid will be the offensive leader on the ice, with or without a 'C' on his sweater. He doesn't really need the extra pressure, and the team's veterans who have paid their dues don't really need a teenager acting as their leader.

I'm just going to have to disagree. I'd way rather Pittsburghs last 10 years with their "too young captain" then ours. Hell then most any other teams last 10 years. Therefore your example doesn't ring home to me

 

[Wadewilson]

No. I'm simply saying that there is no clear conclusion to be drawn from Crosby's being captain at a very young age. His being made captain may indeed have helped the Pens win the 2009 Cup, which they wouldn't have otherwise... or it may have contributed to their numerous playoff disappointments during the six consecutive playoffs that followed. No way of knowing. We all saw Crosby having a minor meltdown in the series with Philly when he vented to the media about how much he disliked their team, and did silly things like fire an opponent's stick down the ice. This occurred years after he was named captain -- was that something a 32-year-old vet with more experience would have done? Did that inspire his teammates' trust in his leadership capabilities?

(Understand I'm not knocking Crosby, whom I like; I'm just using him as a convenient and well-known example.)

In my view, no NHL player should EVER be named team captain before at least his fifth or sixth season, if that (might be exceptions for an expansion team or a ridiculously 'young' team).

McDavid will be the offensive leader on the ice, with or without a 'C' on his sweater. He doesn't really need the extra pressure, and the team's veterans who have paid their dues don't really need a teenager acting as their leader.

I'm just going to have to disagree. I'd way rather Pittsburghs last 10 years with their "too young captain" then ours. Hell then most any other teams last 10 years. Therefore your example doesn't ring home to me

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Why does it matter?



He'll be the last player introduced on opening night and the building will go ape **** bananas.

It would just seem to make more sense to wait until after they hit the ice, albeit I guess he might not see any preseason with us because of the World Cup so I retract my statement.

 

[scb23]

Connor McDavid already is the captain. This is his team and the McDavid era in the NHL is just beginning. Putting the C on his jersey is just a formality.

He's not your normal 19 year old.

This.

 

[Vanqu1sh]

It would be ridiculous to name anyone else Captain. Age doesn't matter at all - ability is all that matters, and no one can deny that Mcdavid has more than enough ability. Mcdavid has reached a level of hockey in 19 years that 30 year old vets can't even fathom - how does age matter at all?

Such old school thinking.