McDavid, Eichel keep things in check

Top picks may not see playoff action for years

Connor McDavid still likes to speak in hypotheticals.

Ask him what he likes about the Edmonton Oilers roster and he reminds you that he has not been drafted there yet. Ask him what he expects out of his rookie year in the NHL and he’ll tell you that he first has to make the team.

And so as McDavid watched his first Stanley Cup final on Monday — along with five other top prospects who were invited to Game 3 — he said he refused to imagine himself on the ice a year from now leading the Oilers or some other team to a championship.

It was not only unproductive. It was, perhaps, unrealistic.

“That’s a little far down the road,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to the draft and hoping obviously to get drafted and hope to play at some point.”

There is some truth to that. While it is a given that the Oilers will select McDavid with the No. 1 pick and that he is expected to jump straight to the NHL and challenge projected No. 2 pick Jack Eichel for the Calder Trophy, no one is planning a Cup parade just yet.

After all, this is the fourth time in six years that Edmonton is picking first. And if Taylor Hall, Ryan NugentHopkins and Nail Yakupov could not immediately turn this franchise around, there is nothing to suggest that McDavid’s arrival will. At least, not right away. Chicago’s Patrick Kane, who was a first-overall pick in 2007, missed the playoffs in his first year. So did Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (first in 2005), Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos (first in 2008) and Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty (second in 2008).

Part of that is because the teams that pick at the top are usually in such disrepair that one player is not going to change their fortunes overnight. The other part is that as talented as McDavid and Eichel are, it is difficult to expect an 18-yearold rookie to play a prominent role and lead a franchise into the playoffs and beyond.

“I think there is going to be some growing pains for sure,” said McDavid. “I don’t expect to step right in and be that guy. It’s a much different league. It’s a lot harder. I’m just looking to do what I can in terms of getting better and working hard this summer and come in and try to make the team if I’m lucky.”

“You set the bar pretty high. You want to achieve some goals,” said Eichel. “Then again, you have to realize that you’re an 18-year-old playing in the NHL. It’s not easy to do. That being said, if you want to be one of the best players in the world, you set the bar really high.”

In Edmonton, McDavid will join a young-and-flawed team that has major holes on defence, no starting goaltender and has missed the playoffs in each of the last nine years. Eichel will be going to a rebuilding Sabres team with similar problems, but also similar promise.

“A lot of young, talented players. A lot of skill,” Eichel said of the Sabres. “They’ve done a really good job of developing young guys. As soon as they put it together, which I think they’ll do really soon, it’s going to be a dangerous team.”