What's it like to see Connor McDavid in action, in person?? Dave Jamieson, who reports on the Edmonton Oilers, let's Adam know with firsthand experience.

Dave Jamieson from TSN 1260 in Edmonton. Low tide and Jamieson, the four-hour monster of a midday show. Do you do four hours just on the latest Connor McDavid exploits?

Well, if we did, and we probably could to be quite honest with you, there's no shortage of material, but you know, we will veer off oiler discussion. But probably today, the bulk of the conversation is going to be centered around what is life after Evander Kane looked like. Because as any of your listeners will know, and they may have seen, the gruesome injury suffered a slashed wrist, and he's going to be out for three to four months. And that leaves a real hole. I mean, as good as McDavid is, as good as Dryseidel is, they have other assets. Evander Kane really sets a tone for this team physically and offensively.

So it's going to be interesting to see how the Oilers regroup and figure out a way that they're going to try and sort of kind of fill that hole. There's also a bit of an edge and attitude that he brings that is necessary, especially in such a big body. Sometimes people forget, and there was a sequence earlier this year for the Hurricanes, where it might have been in Philadelphia, where a player got upended near Jordan's stall, and you could tell the skate came fairly close to his neck.

And he didn't get nicked, he didn't get cut, but at that point, you just have to remind everybody that these incredible athletes are skating around with razor blades on their feet. Oh, yes. I mean, we were talking about this on the show yesterday, and immediately people start going, hey, do you remember Clint Malarchuk? Hey, do you remember Richard Zednick? And of course we do. Do you remember Boreas Salomon getting, what was it, 600 stitches on his face? Yeah, we all remember that. We'd like not to. But it is a stark reminder that this is the fastest game on two feet on the planet, and those feet are, you know, they're knives. It is incredible.

I'm not going to say it's amazing that we don't see more of that, but it sort of is in many ways amazing that we don't see more of that. Dave Jamieson from Edmonton's TSN 1260 in Edmonton. All right, so I'm curious about this. I'm not in your market, though I have spent some time there back in 2006.

I actually did shows from Ched, I believe. So we were getting ready, obviously, for the Stanley Cup finals. What has it been like, the fact that McDavid, Drysidel have not yet played for a Stanley Cup?

What level of angst is among the fans for something like that? I would say, based on how tantalizing they were last year, getting to the final four. Now, granted, they lose in four straight to Colorado. I think everybody was going to lose to Colorado last year.

So, okay, set that aside for a moment. But you can see how close they are, and yet at the same time, early in the season, you can see how far they could be away because of the defense. Now, Jack Campbell is coming off his best game as an Oilers, so that lifts the spirits. Because to this point, yeah, McDavid has been brilliant. Drysidel has been brilliant.

Check those boxes. You expect that? They're almost guaranteed to produce every single night. They're getting some production. Zach Hyman continues to be a revelation. Nobody knows how he is not a Maple Leaf, but that's fine.

The Oilers are the beneficiary. However, there are deficiencies on the back end, and there is still a settling-in process for Jack Campbell. Stuart Skinner has been excellent, so they do appear to be good in goal. Are they good enough? Well, we don't know until you get to the postseason. So I think the level of angst, I mean, when you get into conversations, texters, text to show, you know, open lines, that kind of thing, everyone or most people are saying the window's closing. They've only got a couple, two or three more years to nail this down and get a cup. So it may not get spoken every day, but it kind of creates this gloomy backdrop to discussion, which is as good as the here and now is, can we get to the really good stuff and win?

What's the most underrated part of the team? Peloton, let's go! This holiday, with the right music and the right motivation from world-class instructors. We're going to pick it up a notch.

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See additional terms at onepeloton.com slash home dash trial. Peloton, motivation that moves you. Underrated part of the team. God, that's an excellent question because the vast majority of the time we're talking about how talented they are in those two players. McDavid and Dreisaitl, how good the power play can be.

Underrated part of the team. You know what I would say, and I'm just going to base this on the early going. We're still very early in the season. There was a narrative going into this year that the Oilers wouldn't be tough enough based on the loss of Zach Cassie and Josh Archibald, who didn't play very much last year. Could give a certain level of sandpaper that somehow this was going to be a physically deficient team. That wouldn't be able to when things got, you know, the rink shrinks and it gets tighter as you get closer to the playoffs and then in the postseason.

But this team might not have the requisite amount of grit, if you will. And I think that there's more pushback. Now, all of that said, you know, you might want to just table that because of what's happened to Evander Kane.

You know, we started the conversation by saying, OK, now, you know, tonight begins this time post-Kane at least for three to four months. So it's going to be really interesting to see how that absence affects that kind of, you know, physicality. And I know in this day and age, people sort of, you know, you can't say fighting.

They happen rarely. But there is pushback. There is a presence. And, you know, you said it very well. There is with Kane. It's it's the threat of violence that he brings.

That's it. Sometimes it's not, you know, it's a look, but it's the idea that if things go sideways, he's more than happy to meet you in the alley. Yeah, look, I think it's a first of all, it's fun team to watch. And their speed is breathtaking at times. And I think they're deeper, maybe not obviously not with the same level of talent, because, frankly, that would be unfair. They're deeper than a lot of teams, than a lot of people give them credit. So I think that's fair.

I only got a couple of more things. What is it like to watch McDavid every day do his thing? It is, you know, for people of a certain age, I include myself in there, we've seen, you know, the span of hockey for a long time. And you think of transcendent players that I've witnessed with my own eyes, I think to Bobby Orr, I think to Pavel Buray when I was living and working in Vancouver, thinking obviously of Wayne Gretzky. And you think of players who will, where you stop and watch what they are doing, always, because you're either going to witness something that you might not have seen before, or you're going to witness them just lay another example of transcendence on you. There was a goal in the last game where McDavid will just seize a moment and impose his will on the game. And there's lots of brilliant skaters in the NHL. The level of talent has never been higher in this league, and I would argue the quality of play has never been better. And he's still better than everyone else.

And that's what's mind-blowing. Yeah, the Oilers don't win every game, he doesn't score every game. But at the end of the day, often at the end, even if an Oilers lost, you'll go, yeah, but did you see what McDavid did? And that's so special. Great players come along, but the ones that separate, where you feel like you're watching the game change, at least for that shift, maybe that game, and you think, wow, I sort of can't believe I'm here to see this.

Yeah, it's just different. And this is my own editorial comment, this is where the salary cap hurts players like McDavid, and in basketball hurts players like LeBron, because there's not enough money to give them. They should be able to make all of the money, and I hate to boil it down to that, but it's a factor. In baseball, where there's no salary cap, Aaron Judge can make a billion dollars next year, which is very possible.

You know, we had this conversation on the air not long ago. I went, McDavid's on a bargain contract, and people are like, well, he's making, what, 12 million or whatever it is? And they're like, that's a bargain? I go, and Edmonton's a big box town, right?

Like, with good value. I mean, some people probably think the guys should pay to play. And I'm like, do you know what this level of talent would garner him in another sport? Do you have any concept?

If he was an NFL quarterback, can you just wrap your head around, he's actually cheap. We are being entertained by, you know, Costco here. Yes.

No, I'm 100% on board with that. It is incredible. Dave Jamieson, TSN 1260, low tide, and Jamieson, four-hour, mega monster, midday something.

I couldn't come up with another M word. Dave, I appreciate your time, man. Great to chat. Peloton, let's go. This holiday, with the right music and the right motivation from world-class instructors. We're gonna pick it up a notch.

It's the holiday season. You might just surprise yourself with what you're capable of. Work out to thousands of live and on-demand classes. From running, to cycling, to yoga. Try Peloton risk-free with a 30-day home trial. New members only, not available in remote locations. See additional terms at 1peloton.com slash home dash trial. Peloton, motivation that moves you.