Seriously, what did Edmonton do to deserve Connor McDavid and ...

14 hours ago

Edmonton Journal

Oilers fans beyond lucky to get second comings of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Published Nov 13, 2024 • 4 minute read

Connor McDavid - Figure 1 — Photo Edmonton Journal

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. Photo by BRUCE BENNETT /GETTY IMAGES

Admit it, Edmonton Oilers fans, sometimes you take it for granted.

You promised you wouldn’t. You know you shouldn’t. But sometimes your mind wanders and you lose perspective on what you’re actually witnessing here.

In this, the same town in which Wayne Gretzky played, you get the second coming of Wayne Gretzky.

With a side of Mark Messier.

It’s not even fair.

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What did the Oilers do to deserve Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? Whatever it was, aside from lots of losing and impeccable luck in draft lotteries, it still has us shaking our heads in awe 10 years later.

It happened again last game.

On a quiet Tuesday night at Rogers Place (quiet because of how boring the Oilers-Islanders game was for 40 minutes), McDavid reminded everyone again why he stands alone as the greatest player of his generation.

The Oilers had been leaking oil at home this season, were barely hanging around .500 and had just blown a 3-1 third period lead. It was shaping up to be a disaster.

But McDavid sets up Draisaitl for the overtime winner to cap a four-point night in a 4-3 win to save the day and move one point away from becoming the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,000 in NHL history.

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Routine stuff, right? That’s because you’re spoiled. Ask Adam Henrique.

“You guys have seen him firsthand for a long time,” said the Oilers forward, who has been a teammate of McDavid’s for less than a year and doubts he will ever get used to what he sees on a nightly basis.

“It still even shocks you when he makes certain plays on goals during the game, even when you’re on the bench watching. It kind of takes your breath away sometimes, the stuff he does out there.

“And it’s not just show up and play hockey; there is a lot that goes on behind it and he lives it day to day. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to be the best and try and get better somehow.”

Connor McDavid - Figure 3 — Photo Edmonton Journal

That he gets better somehow is difficult to imagine. How good do you have to be to have already solidified your place on the Mount Rushmore of hockey when you’re just past the halfway mark of your career and don’t have a championship yet?

McDavid good. And it’s a level only a handful of players have ever seen.

When all is said and done, he’s probably going to narrow that Mount Rushmore four down to a top two — him and Gretzky.

As Leon Draisaitl put it, “this isn’t greatness, this is legendary stuff” we’re talking about here.

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The 27-year-old has reached a place in his game where superlatives sound trite.

Best player in the world? Duh.

One of the greatest players of all time? Yeah, we know.

He is at the point where words can no longer do him justice.

You just put him out there and appreciate what you’re watching.

“I probably wasn’t using him enough in the first two periods but in the third period, it was almost every second shift where he was out there,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch, who could tell McDavid was having one of those nights.

“Yeah, four points, but it could have been a lot more (eight shots on net). When your top players are rolling and feeling good it’s important for the coach to get them on the ice. They’re going to make a difference.”

McDavid admits he was feeling it, which can be a pretty scary thing if you’re on the other side.

“Nights like that, I don’t want to come off the ice,” the captain said. “I felt good. I thought Kris did a great job of giving me lots of opportunities tonight. I felt good and lucky to contribute to a good win.”

And then there’s Draisaitl. One of the best passers in the game, who also happens to be one of the best shooters. He has three 50-goal seasons and two 40-goal seasons in the bank and he’s off to the best start of his career with 12 goals in 16 games.

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On what planet is this somebody’s second-best player?

“He’s really stepped up,” Knoblauch said. “He’s played well all year, but he especially took it to another level when Connor was out for a few games. Incredible shot (in overtime), not very much room to put in there. Just a few players can do that.”

“He’s been really finding the back of the net,” McDavid added. “Great shots from him tonight from his usual spot and then from the other side in overtime. Just an amazing finisher, an amazing player.”

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Draisaitl knows he’s off to a wicked start, but he’s seen enough hockey to know that you can never exhale or rest on any laurels or the game will bite you hard.

“You have to be careful with things like that because this league humbles you so goddamn quick it is scary,” he said. “I have been around long enough to understand there’s phases of it going well and it going ice-cold.

“I feel good. I feel like I’m playing well and I’m creating chances. Obviously they’re going in right now, but I’m very well aware that it can change in a hurry. I’m just going to continue to chip away at it.”

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