Connor McDavid hints at a surprising return from his ankle injury

Over the last week, the Edmonton Oilers and their fan base have been crossing their fingers surrounding the injury of captain Connor McDavid, and after he left a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with an injury, insider Elliotte Friedman provided a positive update. While missing a superstar the caliber of McDavid is never a positive, the timeline of 'a few weeks' due to a high ankle sprain is ultimately a positive for the Oilers, given that there were fears this could have been a much more serious injury.

In the two games since McDavid departed, the Oilers have been rolling with a 2-0-0 mark including a victory in the Battle of Alberta on Sunday night, and now, their captain may be back sooner than expected.

According to reporter Tom Gazzola, McDavid revealed in an interview after a skate on Monday that his ankle is feeling good, even hinting that he may be back for the team's showdown with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

While the team won't want to risk bringing him back too early from an injury, it's safe to say that the team wants him in there as much as possible, and after proving he has a very high pain tolerance over the past few years, McDavid will push to get back on the ice. Regardless of when his return comes, getting No. 97 back to 100% is crucial for the Oilers season, and if that comes in the next week, this is a team that's ready to explode and make a mark this regular season.