Is McDavid's ability to captain in question?

[Booker T]

We all know McDavid is the current best player in the game and a top-10 player of all time, but after last years locker room outburst and this years Stanley Cup game 3 product we witnessed on the ice (seemingly the whole team lost their mind), is McDavids ability to captain in question?

 

[66-30-33]

No.

 

[Turin]

Nah. He’s the only reason that sad sack bottom six had a chance to play the hero for a series and a half before coming back down to earth

 

[Crow]

Everything is in question to some degree, but this is not particularly more in question so I voted no.

More importantly I don’t think his captaincy is the reason he might lose to Florida twice. To me it’s because his team lacks depth and goaltending. The only thing Edmonton has on Florida is a better top line. If Edmonton were able to add Marchand and Jones level players mid season they would have faired a lot better in this game. Losing Hyman certainly didn’t help either.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

The captain is literally just a spokesperson of sorts. Any player can be a leader in the locker room and on the ice

 

[Albatros]

I don't think his leadership qualities have ever been why he's the captain, absolutely he has to prove those if they're to win.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Unless he plays goal he is not the problem

 

[Cup Or Bust]

The Oilers roster realistically should neverr make it to the Cup finals. He's the main reason it has happened, and they have done it 2 years in a row. That is amazing leadership. Always these naive fans that think hockey teams have one leader and he can just will the team to wins with words,.

 

[Albatros]

The Oilers roster realistically should neverr make it to the Cup finals.

Last year they were tied 3rd in preseason odds to win the cup, this year 1st.

 

[Plastic Joseph]

Not at all.

The guy had led his team to 2 finals in a row...

The all or nothing mindset fans are increasingly holding skews everything. Yes a player might say losing in the finals is a failure. But objectively, it is a big success to win the conference.

All that and we don't even know if he lost this year yet. In 2 weeks he could be sitting at home with a ring. To me he is the perfect captain - hard working, skilled (obviously), and seemingly level headed. I don't want someone with a temper leading my team. Sure you may get the extreme highs but more erratic lows also.

The mcdavid archetype has been proven. Neither Gretzky or Crosby were rah rah or physically imposing. You just gotta play your best when it counts. McDavid has proven that

 

[daver]

Winning answers a lot of questions.

Ovechkin eventually became a good leader but that was a maturity thing, IMO. It was not a coincedence that he was noticably playing a solid 2-way game in their 2018 run.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Leadership is tough to quantify. I will say it would be unusual for an NHL player of his stature to lose consecutive cup finals. Gretzky and Crosby did lose. But they won the second time.

One thing that I don't like is that he isn't changing things up. In otherwords, he isn't even trying to shoot the puck. He won't dump the puck in. He tries to dangle past Florida guys when it's been proven they aren't going to let it happen. These are controllable things. Crosby has/had his faults. But I always felt he could adapt his game better to the opponents style of play in the postseason.

 

[LuGBuG]

He drags this team wherever he goes. If he played literally anywhere else I’d cheer for him to get a cup. He was built in a factory and you wouldn’t find a player in the NHL that wouldn’t want him leading them into battle.

 

[Nocashstyle]

Lol, I love how one single sub-par game from McDavid is your catalyst for this thread.

 

[Booker T]

Lol, I love how one single sub-par game from McDavid is your catalyst for this thread.

It actually had nothing to do with McDavids on-ice performance and more to do with the behavior of the whole Oilers team that game. There's a difference between this happening in the regular season and it happening in the cup finals.

 

[Nocashstyle]

It actually had nothing to do with McDavids on-ice performance and more to do with the behavior of the whole Oilers team that game. There's a difference between this happening in the regular season and it happening in the cup finals.

Again, one game

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Lopsided outcome.