McDavid frustrated that people think he's making Oilers personnel moves

Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid isn’t happy, but it may not be for the reason you would expect.

The Oilers have gotten off to a miserable start this season, as they own a 5-12-1 through 18 games. Their early season struggles cost Jay Woodcroft his job, as he was replaced by McDavid’s junior hockey coach Kris Knoblauch. Given the obvious connection, many assumed McDavid played a big part in this decision, similar to the Oilers hiring his now former agent Jeff Jackson as the CEO of hockey operations. However, according to Elliotte Friedman in his latest 32 Thoughts column, that is far from the case.

“Some people love influencing everything, whether their specific role or not,” Friedman wrote. “I’ve seen it in media. Others don’t. ‘Do Your Job,’ like the dynasty Patriots. This is a challenge for Edmonton. Now that people in McDavid’s circle are entering the organization, the theory about his influence grows in the hockey sphere. He’s absolutely going to hate that, and will resent it.”

If this is indeed the case, you can’t help but wonder why the higher-ups in the Oilers organization wouldn’t have consulted McDavid before making these decisions. While they likely did both as an attempt to keep the 26-year-old happy, it sounds like it may have done the complete opposite. Keep in mind, McDavid also seemed genuinely upset with the firing of Woodcroft, telling reporters that his former bench boss hadn’t lost the room prior to being relieved from his duties.

Adding to the frustration for McDavid is that he isn’t producing as expected. After a ridiculous 153-point season, he has just six goals and 16 points through 16 games this season. Those numbers will likely improve as the year goes on, but there is no coincidence that his personal struggles have resulted in the Oilers’ ugly play thus far. Both he and his team will look to turn things around this afternoon as they are set to take on the Washington Capitals at 1 pm MT.

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