Erie Otters’ Connor McDavid believes he’s an ‘underdog’ ahead of Team Canada selection camp

Underpromise and overdeliver works in sports as well as business. Speculating where Connor McDavid fits in the grand design for Team Canada, whose first full practice is Friday, is putting the cart ahead of the horse.

In the here and now, McDavid, whose driver's license states he was born in 1997 and is thus 16 years old, is doing the psych job of convincing himself the doubters are legion. Never mind the Sportsnet magazine "Better Than Crosby" cover or the fact that seven months ago, he was the MVP at the world under-18 championship.

"I'm going in as an underdog," McDavid said last weekend during Erie's Eastern Ontario sweep through Peterborough, Ottawa and Kingston. "I don't think a lot people think I'll make the team. We'll see how it goes.

"There was a TSN thing that basically said I wouldn't have a shot," added McDavid, whose 50 points over 31 games is tied for fifth in OHL scoring. "I was watching it. Obviously it doesn't feel good. At the end of the day, they have their opinions. They're experts and they're good at what they do, but I'm going to try to prove them wrong."

During last week's announcement of Canada's preliminary roster, Hockey Canada head scout Ryan Jankowski also made a point to lower expectations of McDavid: "The event is very difficult for every 16-year-old who’s ever been there, and really the most effective 16-year-old for Canada has been Wayne Gretzky. That being said, he’s earned this opportunity to be able to show his stuff."

If that makes is easier for McDavid, he isn't tipping his hand. Perhaps it's just white noise.

"I guess it does, maybe a little bit," he said. "I knew that I wouldn't be carrying the load. There are tremendous players at the camp. Whether I'm there or not they have guys who can do the job."

Team Canada is less married to the belief the WJC is a 19-year-old tournament than it was in the past. Still, teenagers age and underage prodigies can have their hands full. Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon was spot-welded to the bench last year in Ufa, Russia. The next 17-year-old who is shunted down to being the 13th forward will have been MacKinnoned.

'Way beyond his years'

Only five 16-year-olds have suited up: Gretzky (1978), Eric Lindros ('90), Jay Bouwmeester and Jason Spezza (2000) and Sidney Crosby ('04). McDavid, though, is a prodigy. Small wonder then that the venerable, voluble Sherry Bassin, is perplexed that there are doubts about the young star.

"He's not 16, he's 16 chronologically," the Otters managing partner said. He's way beyond that. He's 24. One of the things I want to establish: when you see an accomplished 13-year-old pianist playing at Carnegie Hall, you don't see his age. He's way beyond his years and that's what the world is about. I don't see him as 16. He's one of the leaders of our team.

"If they've got 19 players better than Connor McDavid, they should ship the medals over. Shouldn't fly over, they [the IIHF] just should just send them.

"He's MVP of the gold medal-winning team, so what are we talking about here?" adds Bassin, who was general manager of both Canada's first gold-medal winning team in 1982 and the '85 crew that was the first to win a gold medal on European ice. "That's why I tell you, if they've got 19 players better than him, send the medals over. Six forwards, eight forwards, it doesn't matter where you play him, because he'll be on a plateau."

In any team's M.O. at the WJC, stars have to slide into supporting roles, winning battles and penalty killing. For instance, Team USA won last season with Vince Trocheck, the OHL's eventual leading scorer and most outstanding player, manning the third line.

Arguably, Canada often gets too cute by half with finding role players. Sixteen- and 17-year-old skill players often lack the experience to adapt to not being an alpha dog. That can make them less trustworthy in a tournament where one bad goal off turnover can take a team out of the gold-medal hunt.

'Want to be a full 200-foot player'

McDavid, now 6-foot and 185 pounds, is making strides in his play off the puck. During Erie's 2-0 win at Ottawa last Friday, he was out for a late-game 6-on-4 situation, helping jam the puck up behind the enemy net to cost the 67's valuable seconds. That might be a hint of a mark in his favour.

"I think I'm getting a little bit better at that," he said. "That's something that you have to learn to be a complete player and that's something that I want to be is a full 200-foot player. That's something that I lacked last year, I'm really looking to gain that. I'm a pretty high plus player (plus-21 on the season)."

That might owe to Erie's overall improvement. The Otters have jumped from second-last in the OHL to first overall with an .859 point percentage and +82 goal differential through 32 games. McDavid's bought into the system installed by Kris Knoblauch, who previously coached Kootenay to a Memorial Cup berth in 2011.

"That's a team thing, the team's got so much better with it," says Knoblauch, who coached this season's top NHL draft prospect, Kootenay's Sam Reinhart. "Connor's obviously a big part of our team. His play, 200 feet, has got a lot better and there's more to come there. One thing with being a good defensive player is winning those battles. Being 16 it's difficult to win those battles but certainly he's winning more than he did last year.

"When the game's on line, he's understanding certain things about getting pucks out and being on the defensive side of pucks."

McDavid has also avoided one pratfall peculiar to gifted players : his aptitude is functional. His hype isn't a case of a player who has 20 overhandling-the-puck moments for every gambit that gets posted to YouTube.

"When you play against him you might not notice but when you watch him in practice, he's a dynamic player and a special talent for sure," said overage left wing Michael Curtis, who scored twice off McDavid feeds during Erie's 9-1 romp over Mississsauga on Wednesday.

Bassin, as an educator, has keen eye for McDavid moments. One chat with him might generate enough material for an eBook. Connor signing a puck for a small child at an appearance when the security handlers were under instruction to only have him sign a poster ("The security said, 'no-no-no,' but he signed it and put his arm around the kid"). Connor ducking back into a restaurant after a meal after being told the server wanted an autograph. When the Otters arrived at the Canadian Tire Centre, McDavid came in long after the other players after satisfying the autograph hounds. Yet he seldom veers away from what what Bassin calls the "phenomenal grounding" provided by the star's parents, Kelly and Brian McDavid.

"I've always said of all the time I've been in the game, I've had a lot of people who had ability I wish had more character," the 74-year-old Bassin said. "I've had a lot of people with a lot of character I wish had more ability. Put 'em both together you get a star.

"Is he good enough to help them win a gold medal? Absolutely, in my mind."

The only time McDavid betrayed that he is 16 is when he spoke about the approaching camp date.

"I just have stay relaxed about it," he said. "It's a tremendous honour and I'm very excited but at the same time there can be some serious nerves associated with it. I just want to stay calm."

After all, keeping calm is part of springing a surprise, even if isn't really one.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.