McDavid reveals what went wrong with Edmonton Oilers last year
A new season is right around the corner for the Edmonton Oilers, and they are trying to avoid old mistakes.
Last season was anything but smooth sailing for the Oilers, as they struggled with consistency and ultimately bowed out in the first round of the playoffs after a disappointing six-game series with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Oilers looked like a shell of the team that made it to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, and fans have been pondering exactly what went wrong with last season. Was it fatigue? A poor coaching strategy? Or were the Oilers just not good enough?
Captain Connor McDavid gave fans a peek behind the curtain at last year’s team, talking with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast during the NHL’s annual player media tour.
“We come a shot away from the ultimate goal; come a couple of games away the following year,” McDavid said. “You almost take it for granted that you’re this team that’s just going to figure it out and be there. But that’s not how it works at all.
“There are steps throughout the season that you have to take… It’s a process to build up toward being ready to play when it matters most.”
Part of the reason why the Oilers brought in Mike Babcock as head coach was to be harder on the players and to bring more accountability to the team’s top players. McDavid said that he wants to be coached and feels that Babcock can help Edmonton find the consistency that they lacked last year.
He also believes Babcock will have this group ready to start the year, which is something the Oilers have struggled with over the past few seasons.
“We’re going to be the most prepared team in the NHL,” McDavid said. “I know that because I’ve seen them work already in their preparation for the year. It’s an exciting time for us; it really is.
“Babs is there to be Babs and to coach the way he sees fit. We’re also a team and teammates who care about each other, and if there’s an area or a place where we have to step in, of course we’re going to do that, but we would do that with any coach; it doesn’t matter who it is.”
The spectre of McDavid’s contract situation will be looming over the team this season. The Oilers captain is set to embark on a two-year contract this season and will be eligible to sign a new extension next summer. If Edmonton veers off course with another ugly season, there are fears it could lead to McDavid leaving the Alberta capital.
He seemed to be more upbeat about his situation than that dire outlook, telling Friedman and Bukauskas that while he does have an intense desire to win, he is far from unhappy with his life.
“I am a happy guy. I live a great life,” McDavid said. “I have a great wife and a great family, and my life is absolutely great. I’m extremely grateful for how my life is.
“I feel incredibly grateful that I am so passionate about what I do because there are a lot of people in the world who don’t get to live with that passion and what they do every day. So I feel very lucky that I get to do what I do and live the life I live.”
It’s a big season coming up in Edmonton, and McDavid will be hoping it will be much longer than the last.