EDMONTON, AB – Leave it to Connor McDavid to return from his ankle injury sooner than expected – in classic No. 97 fashion.

“It feels pretty good. There’s not too much limiting me on the ice,” McDavid said to the media. “I’m happy with how it feels from when it happened until now.”

While he won’t suit up on Monday against the Devils, it was a welcome sight for the Blue & Orange to see their captain on the ice during the team’s optional pre-game skate as he works his way back from an ankle injury that’s expected to keep him out two to three weeks.

“When it first happens, obviously you’re concerned that it’s maybe something a little more serious,” he added. “But thankfully, I got good news and I’ve been doing everything possible to make it feel better.”

McDavid continues to progress on a day-by-day basis in hopes of getting back into the lineup sooner than expected, saying that he feels ahead of schedule in his recovery but remains hesitant to give a date for when he’ll be able to suit up.

The captain’s return could come potentially as early as this weekend for Edmonton’s trip to Vancouver to face the Canucks on Hockey Night in Canada.

“We’re going to go day-by-day here, and I felt good out there today. We’ll see how it responds and go from there,” he said.

The captain is taking the advice of Edmonton’s top-notch medical staff while weighing it against his own internal thoughts about how his body is feeling to ultimately make the best decision on when he will return. But there’s always a drive within himself to overperform any recovery timeline.

A potential return this Saturday for McDavid would place him about a week ahead of schedule, while his latest return of three weeks could see him re-join the Oilers later this month during their upcoming eastern road trip from Nov. 15-19 that goes through Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

“There is a good balance, but I’m always wanting to play and I always want to be out there with the guys helping the team any way I can,” McDavid said. “You can only do that by being out there with them, and ultimately, that’s what I love to do. So I’m always pushing for that. The doctors are always pulling back on that a little bit, but as I said, we always find a good balance.”

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said it’s natural for the best players in the NHL to try and beat out even the best-case scenarios in their recoveries, and McDavid is at the top of that list.

“He’s a competitor,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch added. “He wants to be out on the ice and he wants to be helping the team win. He knows his body and the doctors are giving him their medical advice. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to when the doctors think it’s best for him to come back.

“It’s in their DNA that all those top players want to be on the ice for the games to help their teammates. Whether it’s one-to-two weeks or months, it’s not easy for the players.”