It sounds like the Edmonton Oilers will be getting recent first-round, first overall pick Connor McDavid back sooner than expected. A report from late Nov. suggested that McDavid was "weeks ahead" of schedule and a further report from Sportsnet this week says that McDavid has finally begun skating.
Per Sportsnet's Mark Spector, McDavid has begun skating with fellow injured forward, Nail Yakupov. While the rest of the Oilers squad is focusing in on their upcoming four-game road swing, McDavid and Yakupov are hitting the ice under the watchful eye of Edmonton skating coach David Pelletier.
"Connor is not shooting yet," McDavid's agent Jeff Jackson told Spector. "The Oilers have a time line, with different milestones where he can do certain things on the ice. He'll move towards puck handling soon. It will be up to the doctors and the therapists [when he begins to shoot pucks]."
In mid-Nov., just 11 days after the original injury to his clavicle and 10 days since he underwent a surgical procedure, McDavid met with reporters and by nearly every account looked "great."
At the time, McDavid was said to have begun light training, including upper body work and riding a stationary bike. Perhaps more important than his physical well-being though, was the fact that McDavid seemed to be in "good spirits" and wasn't lacking for confidence in himself and how quickly he'd be able to heal.
Now, it sounds like McDavid really will find his way back onto the ice with the rest of his Oilers teammates well ahead of the timeline that was offered in the wake of the injury.
