Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is gearing up for an early return to the lineup tonight after an ankle injury, and he addressed so fan concerns or rushing back in legendary fashion. When speaking to the media after practice, McDavid said that if he wasn't confident in his return, he wouldn't be coming back early. He's back and he'll be able to dominate again.
After McDavid jammed his ankle into the boards in the first shift against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Oilers fans neared the worst - that McDavid could be out long term. His original timeline for recovery thankfully was only 3 weeks maximum, but even that proved to be too much for McDavid. The Oilers captain headed back to Edmonton as soon as possible to begin his rehab, and even hired a team of personal trainers to assist the Oilers staff.
From there on, McDavid's recovery time seemed to crash to the ground, and now he believes he's healthy enough to light up the scoresheet. It's a true testament to the dedication from McDavid to be the best player possible - including the best ability of availability. McDavid is returning not far from making personal history himself.
He's only 8 points away from reaching 1000 career points, and knowing McDavid, he could reach that total in two games. If he has a Sam Gagner type night, it could even be just one! Hopefully the Oilers were able to take a lesson of playing a team game from their time without McDavid, and they'll be a better team because of the experience. A first game again.