Edmonton Oilers: The Hit Heard Round The World
The Edmonton Oilers prospects had the last laugh as they walked away with a dominating 8-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks rookies. However, it was a jarring hit on a prominent player that stole the show in last weeks opening action in Penticton.
I am sure by now everyone is aware of “the hit heard round the world“. Jake Virtanen had the chance so he took the liberty of knocking the almighty Connor McDavid into next week.
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Virtanen, a 6th overall pick of the Canucks in 2014 is a big bodied, skilled power forward. The 19 year old is 6”1 207 lbs and is the Canucks top prospect. He is a physical presence on the ice. Physicality is a major part of his game. Whether it be throwing big hits, chirping the opposition or dropping the mitts for his teammates, Virtanen plays with an aggressive edge. He plays to win, by any means necessary.
Which brings me to the hit. I notice people are freaking out that McDavid got his bell rung. Is it always going to be a big deal every time he gets touched? Lets not forget that no such rule exists where certain players are not allowed to be hit. There is no “do not touch” sign embedded in McDavid’s chest. Hockey is a contact game, its open season for everybody.
The fact is he is a marked man. There is going to be a target on McDavid’s back this season. Believe it or not, behind all of the glamour of being a generational talent, there is some baggage that comes with the job. Not only are eyes stationed on you 24/7 but players on opposing teams are going to try and take your head off and constantly make an effort to get you off your game. Its the nature of the beast.
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McDavid will shine, but his opposition is going to try and run him into the ground and make him as ineffective as possible. There will be the odd player that takes a run at him as well. Just ask Sidney Crosby, he deals with that on a nightly basis, being the best player in the world and all.
During Wayne Gretzky’s heyday as an Oiler, he endured a lot of hate and hostility from opposing players. However, Gretzky had the likes of Dave Semenko, Kevin McClelland, Don Jackson and Marty McSorley protecting him every night which made life a lot easier for the great one and as a result he had the necessary room on the ice to work his magic.
In the last couple of seasons, I have even noticed players taking nasty runs at Taylor Hall from time to time.
I feel it is necessary to have a player like Luke Gazdic in the Oilers lineup this season. Since McDavid is entering his first NHL season, it is essential to put him in the best situation possible for success. That also means it is important to create space for him on the ice.
The Virtanen hit on McDavid is only foreshadowing what we could see more of during the 2015/2016 season. Not necessarily thundering hits laid out on McDavid left, right and centre, but there could be lots of chippy play towards him and attempts from other players to line him up in the trolley tracks.
Physical players will want a piece of McDavid when they play the Oilers, but I don’t believe it is anyones intention to hurt the kid. There is obviously a level of professionalism and respect maintained among NHL players. Every sport has its boneheads. That is where I see the need to have Gazdic around so he can police the ice and take care of the troublemakers that mess with the young guns.
With that being said, McDavid is entering a whole different ball game. Every rookie is taught a valuable lesson when entering a newer, faster level of hockey with bigger, older players. Keep your head up.
The Oilers don’t have to always rely on Gazdic to protect everyone. There are other players on the roster that can share some of that responsibility. Tough, hard nosed players like Matt Hendricks and Eric Gryba can play physical and fight when necessary. Especially if one of their teammates is getting knocked around.
There is absolutely no need to go crazy just because McDavid gets roughed up a little bit. He can take a hit. The kid knows what hockey is all about and he will flourish. The same type of thing happened to him playing in the juniors and he turned out alright.
With that being said I think Luke Gazdic is needed on this team. He is intimidating which will work well in the case to police McDavid. It could make McDavid’s life as a rookie a hell of a lot easier. I wouldn’t say its essential and a dire need, but it adds extra accommodations to McDavid’s transition to the NHL.
Players will think twice to mess with McDavid if they know they have to have a chat with Gazdic next shift. To clarify I don’t mean put Gazdic on McDavids line. Just have him in the lineup when the Oilers are playing a big, physical team like the Winnipeg Jets or the St Louis Blues to name a few.
Connor McDavid is very humble as most people already know. He wants to be treated like a regular player and not have a special card to play. McDavid will be able to adapt to the NHL level and find ways to dominate and elevate his game as he gets experience.
The Virtanen hit only emphasizes the idea of having some level of protection for McDavid this season. The hit is deserving of being on the highlight reel but not the story of the week. No need to panic, he is a tough kid. Time to move on.