Edmonton Oilers fans won’t be getting a Christmas gift on the Connor McDavid-injury front as the rookie forward says there’s still no timeline for his return from a broken clavicle.
McDavid resumed skating last week and has seen positives with his recovery, but there’s still ways to go, he said Tuesday on the Jeff Blair Show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
“I feel very good. The bone is coming along and personally I feel good, physically I feel good and mentally I feel good,” McDavid told Blair. “It’s been all sorts of positives lately. Obviously it’s not the position I’d like to be in, but it’s important that you find the positives in any situation.”
McDavid suffered the injury in the Oilers’ win over the Flyers on Nov. 3 when he collided into the boards with Philadelphia defencemen Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Manning.
Happy that he’s now back on the ice, McDavid – who’ll turn 19 next month – said he’s trying to stay patient and avoid aggravating the injury by returning too soon.
“The return (date) I don’t really know yet,” he said. “The bone only heals as fast as it heals. Nothing I can really do about that. Just trying to be as ready as I can for when I come back.”
The Oilers have gone 10-12 without McDavid and are currently one point out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division.
A recent six-game winning streak offered a glimpse of the Oilers’ potential, but McDavid declined to say whether he thought the club can be a playoff team this year.
“I’m not going to answer that,” he said. “We’ve been talking about just getting better and sticking with the process. Obviously you’re starting to see it pay off a little bit.”
McDavid – taken No. 1 overall in this year’s NHL Draft – has five goals and 12 points in 13 games this season. The centre says his acclimation to the NHL isn’t at an impasse with him in the press box instead of on the ice.
“You look at some guys and their tendencies, trying to picture yourself playing with (them) and how you might fit in,” he said. “It’s definitely a good learning opportunity for a young guy like me to watch from the press box and try and understand the game a little bit better.”
