Sure, being close to home doesn’t hurt, but Milan Lucic cited Connor McDavid’s presence in Edmonton as a big reason why he signed with the Oilers.
” ... To have that opportunity to play with a player like that doesn’t come around so often,” Lucic said of McDavid.
It’s to the point where Lucic almost looked like a run-of-the-mill fan himself:
Look who we found at Edmonton Airport this morning. What a gracious gentleman! @EdmontonOilers @rob8591 @FlyEIA pic.twitter.com/3vd5ovSYxN
— Susan (@susan_yeg) July 2, 2016
The good news for Lucic and the Oilers: the feeling seems mutual.
McDavid expressed his excitement to NHL.com that Edmonton added a big, intimidating presence earlier this week.
“It means so much,” McDavid said. “It kind of gives us that swagger, that meanness that we have been looking for ...”
The towering winger does tend to make an impression. Just consider what happened in his first game with the Los Angeles Kings:
He also gave Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse something of a welcome to the NHL, as this was the blueliner’s first fight:
Look, in a brutal sport like hockey, just about everyone wants to be feared. Just look at the Montreal Canadiens’ polarizing off-season direction.
When the adrenaline wears off after a big hit or violent fight, fans will want to see results on the scoreboard and in the standings. It remains to be seen if the Oilers truly made strides in that regard during a summer of change.
On the bright side, their wunderkind star and expensive new addition are at least on the same page.