I Hear You Calling… McDavid

So the big day is here. The day we all find out where the NHL’s newest superstar will be heading. I might be in the minority here but I hope the Oilers miss out on uberstar Connor McDavid. I don’t think he’s the missing piece in Edmonton and frankly I don’t think he’d want to play here given his family’s relationship with the Erie Otters and their closeness to that whole OEG/Erie Otters fiasco… I think Connor-boy might know a bit more about the Oilers inner workings than a prospect should.

Then there’s McDavid’s own thoughts on the Edmonton Oilers via a piece from Toronto Sun columnist Mike Zeisberger:

“That’s a great hockey town. They love their hockey. Obviously they’ve been on a bit of a slide the last couple of years. That’s allowed them to get some unbelievably amazing players that play there now. They’re just kind of a young team now, I guess. I’m not quite sure what’s going on (moving forward). That would be an awesome place as well.”

Woof! To say the least… Not a ringing endorsement is it?

With that said, what if the Oilers win the lottery?

Whilst listening to a recent episode of the Marek vs. Wyshynski podcast I heard co-host Jeff Marek say that Sabres GM Tim Murray has been given the go ahead to do whatever it takes to secure the no.1 overall pick. Wh- wh- what?!

Imagine the possibilities…

Now, the Sabres are not a good team AT ALL. But they do have some nice prospects and pieces that would be welcome on the Oilers. Zemgus Girgensons, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian, and their own first round picks just to name a few.

I mean are we as Oilers fans so naive to think that McDavid alone would vault the Oilers into the playoffs or a championship team? Sure, he’d look good beside Yakupov or Eberle but is he what the franchise really needs? Would a talent as sure as McDavid’s detract from what the Oilers are trying to build? I’m thinking if Edmonton could swap picks with Buffalo, as well as get Bogosian and Ristolainen, that would be a great deal for them.

Jack Eichel, Zach Bogosian, and Rasmus Ristolainen for Connor McDavid? Why not? A no.2 center, a top pairing (in Edmonton) dman in the vein of former Oiler Jason Smith and a rising star on the blueline in Ristolainen. Would that be enough for you? Would you ask for more? If so, how much more? Girgensons? Reinhart?

I can only imagine the bidding war that the Oilers could get teams into if they entertained the notion of dealing McDavid. How much would Toronto pay? Would Nashville wander in? What about cap team like Philadelphia or Washington?

Ultimately, could a Lindros-like return be had for McDavid?

But you’d get the feeling that MacT and his gambling nature would hold out for more or that Darryl Katz would veto any trade that includes McDavid no matter how good it would be for the Oilers short term future or long term knowing full well that going into the new arena with a marquee attraction like McDavid could net him hundreds of millions of dollars.

Talk about a bold move… Dealing Connor McDavid would fall under that category.

How about those highlights? Buffalo’s red jerseys, Young Ovie and Crosby, Jagr a Ranger, the Atlanta Thrashers, and I think I saw a Jarret Stoll goal in there. There’s something about the lyrics in that Gob classic that ring true to the whole McDavid/Oilers narrative. What do you think?

-BLH