Franchise Notes

The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Tom Perrotta wrote the "frustration of having a generational talent" like Oilers C Connor McDavid on a "foundering team helps explain why there is no franchise in hockey facing more angst from their fans." McDavid signed an eight-year, $100M deal that started this season and is the "most lucrative per capita contract ever in the NHL." The Oilers have "shown few signs of winning championships anytime soon," but are off to a "solid start this season." Now, the pressure to win has "amped up." McDavid said, "I’ve always kind of wanted to be one of those guys that sticks with a team for his entire career. ... I’m committed to the city, I’m committed to the team" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/10).

ONE SMALL STEP: On Long Island, Tim Healey notes on July 27, the Mets will "give away a 'Mr. Met on the Moon' bobblehead to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing." In a coincidental Mets connection, this "promotion was in the works before" Brodie Van Wagenen was hired as GM. Van Wagenen's father-in-law was the late Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon (NEWSDAY, 11/13).

KEEPING WITH THE TIMES: In Dallas, Evan Grant noted the Rangers are "changing how they do baseball business" by opening up "more to areas like research and development, which includes the study and usage of more advanced analytics and probabilities." After a decade of being "one of MLB's model franchises, the one that other teams tried to run down, they find themselves now trying to poach ideas and personnel from a group that have become the industry leaders" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/10).