Each week, we check in with our readers on social media and e-mail to see what’s on top of their mind, explore the hot topics of conversation and answer hard-hitting questions about the Edmonton Oilers. This past week saw no shortage of reaction to a recent column Gerry Moddejonge wrote on the topic of Connor McDavid’s captaincy. Here are some of the best:
THE LACK OF SUCCESS IS ONE HUNDRED PER CENT ON THE INEPT MANAGEMENT. You are an idiot to suggest that he cannot lead the team. You wrote this to get a reaction. You got it. Congrats.
— Brian Lysak
This team appeared rudderless all season long, not just in their brief playoff run. The issue is leadership. And that goes beyond blaming the former head coach. And the head coach before him. And the three before them. Connor McDavid will be on his sixth different head coach next season, and his captaincy serves as the common denominator between all of them.
Yes, management dropped the ball with a bad trade and some questionable contracts there, as you point out, but the core of this roster has played together long enough and is still in its prime. There is no good reason for this team to have taken such a noticeable step backward from Cup contender to mediocre, at best. So, leadership comes into question.
And if the guy wearing the C can’t be a big part of that discussion, then my question to you is, why not? We have become so accustomed to talking about McDavid being the best at things that it’s sacrilege to even suggest he might not be good at something.
Well, you can clutch your pearls all you want, but guess what? McDavid is not captain material. He’s not a leader of men, and never got a chance to play an NHL game under another Oilers captain before being bestowed with the title.
Now, he will always be a leader on the team, of course. For as long as he is part of this team, anyway. But is it so ridiculous to propose he be allowed to focus on doing what he does best and lead the way on the stats sheet? Why does the rallying of the troops and standing in front of the microphones answering the hard questions, and everything else that goes along with being team captain need to automatically be left up to him?
If you read this as a column blaming McDavid for all the Oilers’ woes, then you didn’t read closely enough. All I did was expose a hole in this team, as I see it. The reaction was up to you.
Could have given a valid argument like they needed better defence and 97 should have led by example, but no … the article is just a bunch of nonsense and gibberish. Wasted 5 min of my life reading it.
— JP (@JPRandomTakes on X.com)
Asking him to do even more isn’t the answer. The whole point of it is to take the biggest responsibility of leadership off his plate, not keep piling on more and more duties by asking him to lead the way in a team focused on defence.
In fact, McDavid doesn’t need to think more about defence at all. Let him do what he does best; be the top offensive weapon this league has seen over his past decade in it.
Go ahead and put a speedy back-checking forward on his wing, if you are so worried about your top line surrendering goals against. And while you’re at it, maybe it would be a good idea to have your top defensive pairing made up of not one, but two defensive-minded players, instead of Evan Bouchard. It shouldn’t be up to McDavid to have to try and do it all.
While I have the utmost respect for Connor McDavid as a player and a person, you raise a valid point in your column. On this note, I highly recommend: The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams. The author has studied sustained championship-level teams in multiple sports, and makes the case that the captains of great teams are almost NEVER the most talented player on their team. It’s a fascinating read.
— Kevin Erker
Thanks. Will check it out.
YOU SAID IT
Dear Gerry:
LOL … as soon as I saw the theme of your “captain” article, I was instinctively ducking for cover … for you … Yep, don’t you DARE write anything even resembling criticism of ANY part of McDavid’s game even if said criticism is bang on! Well written and 100 per cent correct.
As a Leaf fan, I did not want them to name Matthews as captain too soon … and they didn’t, going with Tavares while Matthews got his NHL feet under him. Excellent.
And I never hear anyone bringing up this point: what championship, at any level, has McDavid ever lead his team to as captain? While some others agreed with you as well, the requisite, “you must be from the east” nonsense raised its ridiculous head. Typical Oiler fan.
Now I will disagree with you on one point, something I have said the second McDavid signed his two-year deal and have been waiting for a sports scribe somewhere to mention … I don’t believe for a second that he signed that deal as a favor to the team OR the fans. There is no way that he and his agent did not sit down and calculate that he would be giving himself a way easier route out of Edmonton if his contract was at a lower price point. I truly believe that is the No. 1 reason for the lower number. Anyways, all in all a good take from you IMO.
— Shawn Tschritter
You raise an interesting point. Make that two. But you lost me at the whole Leafs-fan thing. Boy, talk about a lesson in futility.
And here I thought it was going to be difficult trying to convince Oilers fans McDavid isn’t the best choice for captain. But you’ve really got your work cut out for you with your lifelong undertaking …
For a chance to appear in an upcoming edition, send your questions, concerns and comments on all things Edmonton Oilers related to:
E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com
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