When Connor McDavid was chosen first-overall by the Edmonton Oilers, it was obvious that he would be the face of the franchise going forward. His jersey was one of the most bought through the NHL, and that was what made 2015-16 so excited.

We went through the dark days when we lost McDavid to a tragedy, a broken clavicle only 13 games into the season. However, since his return on Feb. 2, he has been taking the NHL by storm, and giving the Oilers a chance to win night in and night out. McDavid has 45 points in just 41 games this season, and he is producing at least 1.1 points per game on average.

With his leadership, and his dedication, talent and skill, McDavid deserves to lead the Oilers as the next captain.

Sure, he is only 19 years old, but he has proven his ability to lead. He is the shining light, the beacon of hope that his team rallies around. McDavid is one who is a great playmaker and prefers to pass and make brilliant plays rather than score goals for himself.

His on-ice intelligence is something that you rarely see in the NHL today, and you only really see that from players like Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Nicklas Backstrom and Erik Karlsson (just some examples).

Sure, pressure will be on, but it won’t be hard for McDavid. He simply leads by being himself. He leads by being the person that he genuinely is, and he led the Erie Otters with no problems at all.

Even Wayne Gretzky said that McDavid can handle the captaincy. If this team wants to rebuild from the ground up and bring a new presence to the NHL, they need to establish a new leadership and start with having McDavid as captain. If he is the face of the franchise, he shouldn’t be waiting in the wing. It would make no sense to have someone else take over as captain when McDavid could take over right now.

I also think that if he was the captain, players would have a guiding voice and a changed locker room. Seeing the way McDavid makes his teammates smile and cheer, as well as how he helps them to score, it’s clear that the guys love him. You can even see in the locker room or during post game celebrations that the guys just love being around him.

It’s obvious that with Connor in the lineup, the Oilers rally around him. He is always put out there at critical times and gives his all. If this kid has this impact, give him a “C” already.