According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Connor McDavid approached Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch over the weekend and told his bench boss he wants to play the remainder of the Oilers’ preseason schedule. That would mean coming in again for Wednesday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken and then playing in the team’s final exhibition game on Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. It would make five preseason games in total, which is a lot for any superstar, especially one who had a short summer like McDavid did.
While the idea of getting up to speed is a sound one — especially if McDavid isn’t feeling he’s got his game back — there is a huge risk associated with playing the captain in too many meaningless games.
Why Does McDavid Want to Play so Much?
Last season, McDavid and the Oilers got off to a terrible start. He didn’t have his typical explosion out of the gate and the Oilers 2-9-1 record dug a hole for the team they had to climb out of after it cost then-head coach Jay Woodcroft his job. McDavid wants to avoid a similar start this season. “I just wanted to get into a little bit of rhythm,” McDavid explained after Monday’s game. “It’s tough to get in a rhythm when you play one, sit out a week, and play another.”
He seems a tad frustrated that the team hasn’t gone with anything close to its full roster at camp yet. “We haven’t played much with our group. I think you’ll see that the next two games. I’m hoping so, just to get some rhythm, camaraderie. You know that stuff is important,” McDavid said when speaking to the media.
There was a feeling when he said it that he was not-so-subtly hinting to his coach to start icing the regular lineup. Perhaps not coincidentally, right after McDavid’s comments, the Oilers made a series of roster cuts.
Should the Oilers Be Worried About an Injury?
Based on the way stars have been going down in preseason, there is, and should be, legitimate concern that McDavid could suffer an injury in a pointless game and derail the season. New Oilers GM Stan Bowman doesn’t seem worried about it.
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He said he wasn’t surprised by McDavid’s request, noting, “Sometimes with top players, they want to get their game to the level that they want to be at,” Bowman said. “If anyone gets hurt, then it’s a bad outcome. But if you approach things with that mindset, then you’re always going to be just waiting ’til Game 1 to play.”
McDavid Is Showing His Leadership
There would be several teams where their superstars would prefer not to play in preseason action. Not McDavid. He’s well aware that he could get hurt, but that’s not on his mind. What is bothering him is the fact he feels he’s not where he wants to be and neither is the team. That has to change and it should change when the points don’t matter than to struggle when they do.
Veteran forward Corey Perry told the media that this is what makes McDavid such an effective leader. Even though the Amazon Prime trailer highlighted a different side of No. 97, McDavid sets the example on the ice. “Everybody knows he’s not the loudest guy in the room. But those little things, they help,” Perry said. “That’s why he’s our leader.”
What Does This Mean for the Rest of Preseason?
A couple of days ago, it might have meant a lot more than it does now. As it stands, only a couple of non-regulars are still with this team. Among them are Noah Philp, Raphael Lavoie, and Travis Dermott. Most everyone else has been cut or sent back to their respective junior teams. It’s not clear if that was the original plan, but when McDavid says it’s time to get serious in pre-season, the Oilers listen.
This may also mean slotting a medically cleared Darnell Nurse into the lineup to get him some reps with his eventually playing partner.