The Stanley Cups are displayed in clear glass cases at the front of the new Rogers Place arena here, just steps away from the bronze statue of Wayne Gretzky lofting one, both symbols of what the standard once was for the NHL’s Oilers.

Amid all of the reminders of the past, the inside of Rogers Place showcases a surprisingly bright future. As the organization moved from one rebuild to another, the postseason seemed out of reach, much less another championship, but as he often does on the ice with his superior speed and skill, 19-year-old captain Connor McDavid is making the hockey world rethink what’s possible for the Oilers and how soon they may be relevant again.

With a 9-3-1 record, Edmonton sits atop the Pacific Division with 19 points, an early announcement to the NHL that the Oilers may have arrived earlier than expected thanks to a speedy, young forward corps led by McDavid, who has five goals and nine assists to start the season.

McDavid announced his presence more than a year ago, making fans out of opposing players as the face of Edmonton’s future and more broadly the entire league’s. But those who know McDavid well marvel more about how he has handled the constant fawning and attention than they do about his undeniable talent.

“The first thing that stood out for me was just how good a guy he was,” Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele said. “He’s so humble, hard-working. He’s a guy who just wants to get better, and coming from a kid who has been the best his entire life, it’s pretty special to see that. Obviously, his skill is world-renowned, but he’s a great kid and he’s a guy who loves to work on his game.”

[Alex Ovechkin adjusting to fewer minutes now so he can be fresh later]

Scheifele and McDavid train together in the offseason and played together on Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, where McDavid was the captain of the fan-favorite under-23 team of Americans and Canadians. The “wow” moments when McDavid would flash some of his ability came “pretty much every day at the gym,” Scheifele said. In playing with him, Scheifele learned more about McDavid’s anticipation, that he can breeze past opposing players because he has predicted their next move.

On Team North America, Scheifele said it “was pretty much a foregone statement he was going to get the ‘C,’” despite him being the second-youngest player on the team.

“He’s done it his whole life,” Scheifele said. “He’s dealt with the media aspect of it his whole life. He’s a guy that everyone respects, that’s the biggest thing. Every guy, whether he’s 40 years old or 18 years old, everyone respects him.”

Scheifele said McDavid’s approachability helps command that universal respect. In Edmonton, McDavid can seem larger than life at times. The Oilers haven’t made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season, but things started to look up when they drafted McDavid with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. His face is constantly plastered across the league’s largest scoreboard in Rogers Place, and at a game in late October, a “McDavid 4 Prez” sign hung from an upper level.

An example of McDavid mania: Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner collects other players’ sticks, and though he has coveted one of McDavid’s for the past year, he was told the organization wasn’t giving away any of McDavid’s rookie gear. He even asked former Washington forward Matt Hendricks, now with the Oilers, and current winger Andre Burakovsky, a former junior teammate of McDavid’s, for help, but neither could come through.

Star winger Alex Ovechkin, also an avid stick collector, wanted a McDavid stick, and Alzner said Ovechkin managed to get one last season. Before the Capitals’ game in Edmonton, Alzner considered asking McDavid for one during the game, if there was a good opportunity. By the end of the game, the Capitals were beaten so soundly by the Oilers that Alzner hadn’t asked.

“When you see him split [defensemen] or split people going up the ice, it’s just like, ‘That’s not supposed to happen,’” Alzner said. “You’ve got two guys whacking away at the stick, and he finds a way to make the touch on the puck at the right time. So it’s just impressive.”

[Barry Trotz continues tinkering with Capitals’ forward combinations]

McDavid’s rookie season was disrupted by a fractured clavicle, but in 45 games he scored 16 goals and 32 assists, averaging more than a point per game and finishing third in Calder Trophy voting for the league’s top rookie. McDavid’s speed, coupled with his skill and creativity, makes him so lethal.

“For sure, his No. 1 asset is his speed,” Edmonton winger Jordan Eberle said. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. He goes from that first to sixth gear quicker than anyone I’ve seen.”

Said Scheifele: “It’s crazy because he moves so fast, and you wouldn’t think anyone or anything could move so fast, but his hands move quicker and his mind moves quicker than his feet do.”

Edmonton steadily has put in good pieces around him, signing free agent winger Milan Lucic this summer and improving the defense with a trade for Adam Larsson. On Oct. 5, McDavid was named captain of the Oilers, making him the youngest captain in the league’s history.

A month later, representing a franchise that has a storied past and a woeful recent history, McDavid is continuing to write his own legacy as its future, one that may not be so far away anymore.

“To be around him the last month and a half, just seeing his maturity and just seeing how much he enjoys the game of hockey and how much he wants to win is something that makes him a great player and a great person,” Lucic said. “A lot of people are saying he might be a little too young to be a captain, but with his maturity and all that type of stuff, I think he’s definitely fit for the job at such a young age.”