Connor McDavid joins Oilers for New Year’s Day practice

EDMONTON- There was a buzz in the building as NHL rookie sensation Connor McDavid took to the ice with his Oiler teammates at Rexall Place on Friday.

McDavid’s return to practice is a welcome sight for the team which ended 2015 on a losing night, getting blanked 1-0 at home by the Anaheim Ducks on New Year’s Eve. The Oilers have lost four games in a row and seven of their last eight.

McDavid has not played since Nov. 3 when he suffered a cracked clavicle in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 18-year-old forward was the first overall draft pick in the 2015 entry draft and was clearly adapting well to professional hockey before getting hurt, accumulating 12 points in 13 games.

Another young Oiler was also back at practice Friday. Nail Yakupov has missed the past 16 games with an ankle injury.

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It’s still not clear when McDavid or Yakupov will be re-inserted into the team’s lineup.