Finding the scoresheet in historic fashion isn't the only thing Connor McDavid feels he's excelled at in his eighth NHL season.
The Edmonton Oilers captain said he feels much more comfortable using his influence as the face of the NHL now than when he entered the league as one of the most highly regarded prospects ever.
"(Being guarded), it worked, it got me through that time," McDavid told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "Now, like I said, I'm 26 years old, I've been around the league a long time, and I feel more comfortable just being me.
"I think the other thing for me was I cared a lot about what the older guys thought about me. … I feel like I'm in a place now where I have a little bit more respect in the game and can maybe speak (my) mind a little more freely."
Despite racking up awards and accolades throughout his entire career, McDavid has never been regarded as outspoken. In recent weeks, he's shared his desire for the NHL to organize a best-on-best international tournament and stressed the Oilers' support of the "Hockey is for Everyone" campaign amid Pride jersey controversies across the league.
"I understand my position in the game and that my voice carries some weight, so with that, what I talk about and when I talk about it is a little bit more strategic," McDavid said. "I put a little more thought into some things. And with that being said, the league has always been super, super open with me. They've always wanted to have conversations with me, and the players' association the same thing.
"So I feel very lucky to be in that position. I know not every guy gets that type of treatment, so if you do, you'll feel very lucky that way."
The Oilers drafted McDavid first overall in 2015 and made him the youngest captain in league history prior to his second season. He racked up 848 points in 567 games and is widely expected to claim his third Hart Trophy after notching the league's first 150-plus point season since 1995-96.
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