McDavid leads Edmonton Oilers into new 時代 with new 円形競技場
The Edmonton Oilers have gone 10 seasons without a プレーオフ 外見, 雇うd seven 長，率いる coaches, won the 草案 宝くじ four times and lost 488 of 704 games.
Yet the only number that 事柄s now is 97.
That's the number on the sweater of generational talent Connor McDavid, who's going into his second NHL season and 主要な the Oilers into a new 時代 in their new 円形競技場. Edmonton will play the first 正規の／正選手-season game at sparkling Rogers Place against the 競争相手 Calgary 炎上s on Oct. 12, raising the curtain on a fresh start for an organization in need of one.
FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2016, とじ込み／提出する photo, Rogers Place, the new home of the Edmonton Oilers NHL ホッケー team, is 見解（をとる）d in Edmonton, Alberta. 開始 the new 円形競技場 signals a fresh start and a new 時代 for the Oilers. (Jason Franson/The Canadian 圧力（をかける） 経由で AP, とじ込み／提出する)
Rogers Place isn't the 円形競技場 McDavid built, though it should be the scene for the 19-year-old's 早い ascent as one of ホッケー's brightest 星／主役にするs.
"He 肉親，親類d of 追加するs another level of excitement," 中心 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "It's pretty 冷静な／正味の with the new building and everything. It's all 肉親，親類d of coming together at the 権利 time, so now we've just got to go out there and 成し遂げる, 明白に. It's exciting the direction that we're 長，率いるing. Connor is going to be a big part of that. It's going to be fun."
Winning the 2015 草案 宝くじ to get McDavid 始める，決める into 動議 big changes for the Oilers organization, 含むing the 雇うing of Peter Chiarelli as general 経営者／支配人. This offseason, Chiarelli 調印するd 大国 今後 Milan Lucic, 貿易（する）d Taylor Hall for defenseman Adam Larsson and 草案d Finnish winger 足緒 Puljujarvi to complement McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, winger Jordan Eberle, 中心 Leon Draisaitl and defenseman Darnell Nurse ― all first-一連の会議、交渉／完成する 選ぶs.
A broken collarbone 限られた／立憲的な McDavid to 45 games in his 新人 season, though he still incredibly put up 48 points and was a finalist for the Calder トロフィー. He may have a big, new linemate in the 6-foot-3, 235-続けざまに猛撃する Lucic, who 調印するd a $42 million, seven-year 取引，協定 to 得点する／非難する／２０ goals, dish out 補助装置s and 攻撃する，衝突するs, and serve as something of McDavid's 護衛 for some of his prime seasons.
"The first thing that stands out about him is just how big he is," McDavid said of Lucic. "I didn't know he was that big. He's a 広大な／多数の／重要な スケートをする人 and can really shoot the puck. I think he's definitely go ing to be a 広大な／多数の／重要な 資産 for us."
Pencil Lucic in on McDavid's 左翼 and put it in 署名／調印する that the pride of Newmarket, Ontario, will be the youngest captain in NHL history at 19 years, 273 days old when he wears the "C'' for the first time.
Here are some other things to watch with the Oilers this season:
LIGHTS, CAM, TALBOT
Goaltender （機の）カム Talbot enters the first season of his $12.5 million, three-year 取引，協定 needing to 証明する he deserves to be a franchise goaltender. After a rough start last season, the former New York 特別奇襲隊員s backup had a 2.37 goals-against 普通の／平均（する） and .922 save 百分率 in his final 40 games. Edmonton would like Talbot to put up those 肉親，親類d of 業績／成果s behind a work-in-進歩 弁護 and steal some games along the way.
THE BIG GERMAN
Leon Draisaitl could be a matchup nightmare for 対抗者s as the third-line 中心 behind McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Stanley Cup-caliber teams are built 負かす／撃墜する the middle and on the 支援する end, and the Oilers are 井戸／弁護士席 on their way if the 悪賢い, big 20-year-old German continues to adjust to the NHL.
MCLELLAN MAGIC
The Todd McLellan-coached, 星／主役にする-studded 23-and-under Team North America dazzled at the World Cup with the 肉親，親類d of 急速な／放蕩な, exciting ホッケー that had fans drooling about the 未来 of the sport. He has McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins in Edmonton, too, but knows he can't play that 肉親，親類d of up-and-負かす／撃墜する, blistering pace for 82 NHL games.
"We'll continue to coach with the same 概念s," McLellan said. "The team that we have in Edmonton is a really good team but not at the same talent level, and that's natural."
DEFENSE UNDER CONSTRUCTI ON
Chiarelli has worked to remake the Oilers' blue line by acquiring Larsson and 調印 Andrej Sekera in the summer of 2015, but it's still not at a プレーオフ level. The 開発 of Nurse and 23-year-old Oscar Klebom is 必須の to that, and it could take another offseason of moves.
REPLACING HALL
Getting Larsson from the New Jersey Devils cost Edmonton its 主要な scorer in Hall, who had 26 goals and 65 points last season. The Oilers may be better in the long run after 取引，協定ing Hall, but they'll have to （不足などを）補う for his 生産／産物 somewhere. Hint: Keep McDavid healthy.
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Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno
FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2016, とじ込み／提出する photo, Colorado 雪崩／（抗議などの）殺到's Francois Beauchemin (32) 圧力s Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during the second period of an NHL ホッケー game in Edmonton, Alberta. McDavid is 推定する／予想するd to start his own new 時代 as the team's 19-year-old captain and one of the 直面するs of the NHL. (Jason Franson/The Canadian 圧力（をかける） 経由で AP, とじ込み／提出する)
FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2015, とじ込み／提出する photo, Buffalo Sabres' Zach Bogosian (47) chases Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) during second-period NHL ホッケー game 活動／戦闘 in Edmonton, Alberta. Nugent-Hopkins goes into his sixth NHL season still trying to help the Oilers make the プレーオフs for the first time since 2006. (Jason Franson/The Canadian 圧力（をかける） 経由で AP, とじ込み／提出する)
FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2016, とじ込み／提出する photo, Calgary 炎上s' Emile Poirier (28) checks Edmonton Oilers' Milan Lucic (27) during the first period of an NHL ホッケー preseason game in Edmonton, Alberta. The Oilers 調印するd left winger Lucic to a $42 million, seven-year 取引，協定 in the offseason. (Jason Franson/The Canadian 圧力（をかける） 経由で AP, とじ込み／提出する)
