As much as the NHL would love to see a rivalry form between Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel over the next decade, there is an extremely good chance that nothing of the sort will ever materialize. Contrary to popular belief, the reason hockey fans will not be treated to another “Sidney Crosby vs Alexander Ovechkin” styled showdown over the foreseeable has little to do with the fact the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers play in different conferences…and everything to do with how good a player No. 97 is going to be.
Despite having missed 37 of the Edmonton Oilers first 50 games, Connor McDavid sits at No. 18 among NHL rookies in scoring. His points per game average of .92 is still tops among first-year players, just ahead of Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panarin’s impressive total of .88, albeit over a span of just 13 appearances.
So here we are. Following Monday’s 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves with six games left on their schedule in what has truly been a wasted year for this once storied franchise.
While it was bound to happen, it certainly did not make the trading of Jeff Petry any easier to stomach. To make matter worse, the eventual return was something which will not help the Edmonton Oilers in any way shape or form over the next few years.
