Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid said that the team has taken a step back, and he said it all starts at the top with him.
The Oilers lost to the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs, ending their hopes of winning the Stanley Cup. Given that the team went to the finals the last two seasons, it was surprising to see them lose in the first round and not make another deep Cup run. Anytime you have the league’s best player on your roster in McDavid, it’s a big disappointment when the team falls short of hockey’s ultimate grand prize.
Connor McDavid is Frustrated by Where the Edmonton Oilers Are
Immediately after the Oilers lost to the Ducks, McDavid told reporters that he felt they were an “average team.” On Saturday, during the team’s end-of-season media availability, McDavid reiterated that point, saying that the organization has taken a step back, which his teammate, Leon Draisaitl, agreed with.
“Yeah, I feel the same way (as Draisaitl). It’s only a couple of days ago I made those comments. Obviously, I feel the same as I did a couple of days ago, and I agree with Leon that the organization as a whole has taken a step back. That starts with me, it starts with Leon. We can all be better, and we all need to be better,” McDavid said.
McDavid Wants to Stay in Edmonton
While some, including former Oilers player Anson Carter, have suggested that McDavid gets traded, the player himself said that he wants to stay in Edmonton and win with the team.
“I want to win, and I want to win here in Edmonton. That’s my focus,” McDavid said.
McDavid has two more years left on his contract, at a sweetheart deal of $12.5 million for each season. If the Oilers ever considered trading him, then they would get a monster trade package in return. But it would also signal to the fans that the team is rebuilding, and it could lead to fan revolt if that ever happened.
Instead, the Oilers are going to keep McDavid while he’s under contract and try to build a better team around him. Oilers GM Stan Bowman said as much, as he admitted the team wasn’t as good as anyone in the organization thought they would be this year, so changes are coming. If the Oilers are going to make it back to the Stanley Cup finals, then Bowman and the team’s management staff need to make better decisions with their assets and how they maneuver the salary cap.
Thankfully for Edmonton, it doesn’t seem like McDavid wants to go anywhere, so the team will have their best player wearing the “C” on his crest for the next two seasons. But changes are certainly going to come this offseason, whether that’s on the roster, behind the bench, or a combination of both. There is simply no excuse to waste the prime years of McDavid’s career being a non-contender, and everyone associated with the Oilers needs to step up their game.
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