Connor McDavid to Oilers: Twitter Reacts as C Is Selected in 2015 NHL Draft

As expected, the Edmonton Oilers used the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft to select Connor McDavid. An Ontario Hockey League standout with the Erie Otters, the 18-year-old center is the most highly touted prospect since Sidney Crosby a decade ago. 

There was virtually no debate about whom the Oilers should take despite the presence of Jack Eichel in the same class, which says a lot about McDavid. Eichel is another franchise cornerstone with an extremely bright future, but Edmonton's newest sensation is a truly rare talent.

He scored 169 points in 67 games between the regular season and the playoffs with the Otters this past season, which equates to 2.52 points per contest. In Crosby's last junior season, he averaged 2.65 points per game, and he's gone on to become the league's best offensive player.

Before the draft, McDavid discussed his excitement about heading to Edmonton if the Oilers did give him the honor of being drafted first, as George Richards of the Miami Herald noted.

"It's a great city, the people are very nice and welcoming,'' McDavid said. "People are excited and rightfully so. Whomever they draft first is going to be a good player. If it is myself, I'll do everything I can to try and help.''

Now it's official: The Oilers are getting a new face of the franchise to accelerate the rebuild, and there's a good chance he'll be one of the best players in the league within a few years. After making the pick, the Oilers revealed McDavid's jersey, and Hockey GIF master Stephanie Vail showed the young center putting it on after he was selected:

The team also provided McDavid's comments on Sportsnet:

Taylor Hall welcomed his new teammate to Edmonton:

Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post joked about the Oilers using their allotted time despite the obvious selection and noted some fan involvement as the Oilers' newest superstar walked to the stage:

The Detroit Free Press also highlighted how easy the pick was for Edmonton:

Sarah McLellan of AZ Central Sports joined the fun:

Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington gave No. 97 a new name:

Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post explained the type of pressure McDavid now faces:

Looking ahead, McDavid is the type of player who can re-energize the fanbase and help the Oilers start climbing the standings again. He joins an exciting forward group that also includes Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, Jordan Eberle and Leon Draisaitl.

Edmonton still has needs defensively and in goal, so the rebuilding effort isn't complete quite yet. But anytime a franchise can add a player of McDavid's caliber—which doesn't happen often—it's an enormous step in the right direction.

Now the focus shifts toward two key dates: Oct. 8, the team's regular-season opener against the St. Louis Blues, and Oct. 15, when McDavid will likely make his home debut.