Connor McDavid delivers message Oilers fans won’t want to hear
The Edmonton Oilers exited the Stanley Cup Playoffs much earlier than they had hoped after losing their first round series to the Anaheim Ducks.
But things may have gotten worse for fans after what Connor McDavid said about the organization.
Before this year, the Oilers had been to two straight Cup Finals and lost both to the Florida Panthers.
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Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid will return to St. Louis on December 20, 2025. Paul expects play to resume during the first period of an NHL game against the Minnesota Wild in Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
But despite questions about his future with the team, McDavid signed a two-year, team-friendly $25 million deal that appeared to be a “show me” contract, giving the organization time to prove he could win a Cup.
That deal kicks in next season, but the Oilers certainly won’t show much for him.
Following the Anaheim loss, McDavid said the Oilers were “an average team with high expectations,” and he said Saturday he stood by that assessment.
He also echoed comments made Saturday by longtime teammate Leon Draisaitl that the team was “not moving in the right direction.”
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“Yeah, I feel the same way,” McDavid said, according to NHL.com. “I only made those comments a few days ago and I feel the same way I did a few days ago and I agree with Leon that the organization as a whole is taking a step back. It starts with me, it starts with Leon, we can all be better, we need to be better.”
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The Oilers have two years to make sure McDavid stays, but realistically, it’s more like one year.
If McDavid doesn’t feel like the Oilers still have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, they need to start moving on.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid at St. He speaks before their third-period matchup against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. (Nick Wosika/Imagn Images)
Letting the best player in the world remain in free agency is not an option.
So the pressure is on more than ever in Edmonton, which means a lot under McDavid.
