When Connor McDavid breaks into the NHL, which Edmonton Oilers skater is going to take him under their wing? Though McDavid will likely skate on the same line as Nail Yakupov, the 21-year-old Russian forward believes he’s too young to teach the prized top overall pick.
Yakupov, who is preparing for his fourth year in the NHL, spoke on the topic with the Edmonton Journal:
“I don’t think I’ll be a teacher. I’m too young for that. We’ve got lots of old guys to tell him things.”
He also mentioned a few of the differences McDavid will encounter upon making the jump:
“Lots of speed. Different game junior and NHL, of course. Different life, too, but I’m sure we’ll do our best to make him feel comfortable.”
Aside from stating he believes he’s too young to be a mentor for McDavid, Yakupov also went into great detail about how much he loved playing with Derek Roy and how Roy served as a mentor.
That’s not to say Yakupov wasn’t scared of Roy, but the level of respect seen in the statement below is amazing.
“The first five or six games with Derek I was scared of him. He would be yelling or swearing at me, but it was worth it. Sometimes you’re trying to be everywhere on the ice, but you have to be in your spot and listen to the centre.
Especially a guy like Derek, who has played in the league for 10 years. He’s seen everything in the game. He could help a young kid like me. Soon as Derek got the puck, I was trying to get open for a shot.
He gave me so much support and I was happy to be playing hockey again.”
Ultimately, it will all come down to chemistry and line mates. Yakupov may be a bit modest about his mentoring capabilities, but he could have a ton of influence on the younger McDavid should the two spend considerable time on the same line. It’ll be on the Edmonton coaching staff to figure out what works and who plays well together, but it’d be wise to ease McDavid in and allow him to build some chemistry in the early going.
