McDavid gives brutally honest answers after Edmonton Oilers eliminated from playoffs
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are hitting the links a lot earlier than expected, and the captain had thoughts.
It was a disappointing 5-2 loss in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks that ended the Oilers season. Edmonton entered the series as the heavy favourite, but they couldn’t quite handle the speed and tenacity of a young, motivated Anaheim roster.
The elimination ends a turbulent season for the Oilers, as they couldn’t quite find their stride all season long. Throughout the year, they put together just two winning streaks of three or more games, and they finished the season 14th in the NHL standings.
McDavid was asked what went wrong with Edmonton this season, and he wasn’t afraid to give a brutally honest answer.
“We were an average team all year,” McDavid told reporters. “An average team with high expectations, you’re gonna be disappointed. We just never found it.”
"We were an average team all year. An average team with high expectations, you're gonna be disappointed. We just never found it."
Connor McDavid reflects on the #Oilers season after the Game 6 defeat.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/sEhVqFEBuT
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 1, 2026
Special teams were a major factor in why the Oilers lost this series. They allowed the Ducks to score staggering eight power-play goals over the course of six games, while the Oilers countered with just four of their own.
The Edmonton PK ended the playoffs with a 50 per cent success rate, which was easily the worst among playoff teams.
“We weren’t very good on the penalty kill,” McDavid admitted. “Power play didn’t get off to a good start… We struggled on the PK all year, too. Searching for consistency there, too. The power play could have been better to start the series. Credit to them.”
McDavid was obviously fighting through some sort of injury in the playoffs, as were several of his Oilers teammates. We did not find out what that injury was in the immediate aftermath of Edmonton’s elimination.
It’s safe to assume that the injuries built up too quickly for the Oilers to handle.
“Too hurt, too soon,” McDavid said. “The first round is always tough, it’s always chaotic, and it’s always tough to play through things so early on, as many guys did in here… That being said, it’s not an excuse either.
“We expected to have a longer run than we did. It is what it is.”
The fear among Oilers fans is how this early exit will affect McDavid’s long-term future with the team. His new two-year extension will kick in next season, but he will be eligible to sign his next contract as early as next summer.
It’s clear that this iteration of the Oilers was never gonna get the job done, and it’ll be up to management to improve this team and get them to a better place this time next year.
If they can’t do that, the McDavid era may be coming to an end in Edmonton.