It was a disappointing end to the season for the Edmonton Oilers, who failed in their quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final for what would have been a third straight season.
Not only were they eliminated in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the divisional rival Anaheim Ducks, but sweeping changes soon followed with the dismissal of head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart, along with the subsequent hiring of Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith.
Meanwhile, the Oilers watched as the Toronto Maple Leafs, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a decade, won the NHL Draft Lottery and the rights to select phenom forward Gavin McKenna out of Penn State University.
The Oilers, who had more than their fair share of first overall picks, used their most recent one in 2015 to select future superstar captain Connor McDavid, who knows about the pressure of being a first overall pick in a Canadian market.
Edmonton Oilers Captain Connor McDavid Shares Unfiltered Thoughts On Maple Leafs Draft Pick Gavin McKenna
As someone who knows the expectations that come with being a No. 1 overall pick, Oilers captain Connor McDavid believes Gavin McKenna has the demeanor to handle the intense spotlight awaiting him in Toronto.
While McDavid admitted he hasn’t closely followed the Maple Leafs’ top prospect, he came away with a positive early impression.
“I don’t know much about him. I haven’t paid attention all that much, to be honest,” McDavid said. “Seems like he’s a good kid.”
McDavid also expressed confidence that McKenna will have the right people around him as he begins his NHL career, pointing to the veteran leadership already in place with the Maple Leafs, pointing to 2016 first overall draft pick Auston Matthews.
“He’ll have his hands full in Toronto, but he seems like he’s prepared for it,” McDavid said. “He’ll have a good support system there too, obviously with Auston [Matthews], and he’ll have lots of support around him, so he should be fine.”
Connor McDavid Knows The Oilers Fell Short In 2026
Following their opening round series loss to the Anaheim Ducks, McDavid expressed great disappointment over the setback along with the club’s overall lack of consistency throughout the season.
“We’ve been searching for consistency all year and obviously we didn’t find it here in the playoffs,” McDavid said. “It’s tough. We were an average team all year; an average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed. We just never found it.”
McDavid also credited the club’s training staff for helping players battle through various injuries.
“Too hurt, too soon,” McDavid said. “The first round is always tough, it’s always chaotic. It’s tough to play through things so early on, as many guys did in here. Credit to our staff for making guys available and making sure they were as comfortable as possible. That being said, it’s not an excuse, either, we expected to have a longer run than we did. It is what it is.”
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