Connor McDavid to return for Canada's Sunday WJC exhibition
If you’re a Canadian and you were scared, frightened or upset about your team’s Friday loss to Russia in a World Junior tournament prelim, just stop. The savior is about to return – and they shall call him Connor.
Yes, that Connor – Connor McDavid – is expected to come back to play in Canada’s Sunday game against Sweden. It will be McDavid’s first in-game action since he broke the fifth metacarpal bone in his right hand on Nov. 11 in an on-ice fight for his junior team, the Erie Otters.
Here is what McDavid expects of himself via the Canadian Press:
"Just try and play as well as I can I mean that’s the main thing," he said. "I can’t ask for too much, I’ve been off for a while.
"Just do what I can."
This isn’t exactly a surprise. The Canadian wunderkind had been practicing with his teammates all week, and it was pretty much expected he would be back for his team’s Boxing Day opener against Slovakia.
But you have to ask – did he in any way rush to come back before the injury was fully healed? And if so, did he feel any sort of national pressure to do so? After all the World Juniors is a ‘humangous big' deal in Canada.
If he’s not 100 percent, what if American prodigy Jack Eichel outplays him? And if so, would this do anything to McDavid’s draft stock?
On the last question, which is probably the most important for McDavid, probably not. He's basically a lock to go No. 1 unless his game totally implodes.
It’s still a much-needed boost for Canada, because let’s face it. A loss to Russia in a game that means nothing for the actual tournament is unacceptable.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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