At age 28, Connor McDavid is already considered one of the top players in NHL history. The Edmonton Oilers captain has piled up the points and received scores of honours.
But the one thing that separates hockey’s other all-time greats from McDavid is the Stanley Cup. From Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky to Sidney Crosby, all have won multiple championships in their storied careers.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Hub
McDavid doesn’t have a championship. Yet. He came agonizingly close last year, when Edmonton lost the Stanley Cup Final in seven games to the Florida Panthers. The superstar centre won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 2024 postseason, but famously didn’t come out to accept the award.
Carrying the weight of “championship or bust” expectations from Day 1 of training camp last September, Edmonton battled through the 2024-25 regular season and three playoff rounds to reach the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, becoming the first team in 70 years to return to the championship series the year after losing in seven games. It seemed destined that Edmonton would win the Cup, and McDavid would check off the last box on his legendary resume.
But the return engagement hasn’t gone according to plan thus far, and Edmonton now trails Florida 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers will face elimination in Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday (June 17).
Oilers Outplayed Since Game 1 Win
While the Oilers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the series, they have been decidedly outplayed since. Two of Edmonton’s three losses have been by at least three goals, including a dispiriting 5-2 defeat on Saturday (June 14) in Game 5 at Rogers Place where the Oilers blew an opportunity to retake the series lead.
On Saturday, McDavid scored his first goal of the series, but it was ultimately too little, too late, coming with Edmonton trailing 3-0 in the third period. If anything, the goal only served to remind that the Oilers need more from their captain.
Waiting on McDavid’s Signature Performance
Through the first five games of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, McDavid has totalled one goal and six assists. Those are very good numbers. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is the only player from either team that has more points in the series.
But McDavid hasn’t had a signature game in this series. He hasn’t elevated his game to that next level that the all-time greats reach when it matters most. There have been numerous occasions when his team needed a lift – and he couldn’t provide it.
McDavid has just two points in the last three games. Florida’s defensive structure has proven challenging for the Oilers to penetrate, and the physical Panthers have made life very difficult for the Oilers’ captain.
But the greatest players find a way. That’s what makes them legendary. And that’s why virtually every legend is also a champion. Think Bobby Orr against the St. Louis Blues in 1970 or Mark Messier against the New Jersey Devils in 1994. All had a defining performance en route to the Cup. That moment is still waiting from McDavid.
Oilers’ Supporting Cast Has Stepped Up
Earlier in McDavid’s career, the Oilers were routinely criticized for wasting their generational player, and it wasn’t unwarranted. The franchise failed to put the pieces around him and Draisaitl to challenge for a championship.
But that’s changed now. In fact, the only reason the Oilers have made it this far is the play of their supporting cast. An incredible 20 different players have scored for Edmonton this postseason, including eight skaters with five or more goals.
McDavid has 33 points in 21 games this postseason, for an average of 1.57 points per game, which again, is an incredibly impressive total, but actually represents a drop-off from his numbers over the previous three postseasons (a total of 95 points in 53 games, 1.79 per game). Of the 14 wins that the Oilers have during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, McDavid has scored in only three of them. He’s been good. You might say, great. But not all-time great. Yet.
There’s no tomorrow now for the Oilers, and there are no guarantees McDavid will get this close to the Stanley Cup again. It’s time to step up and deliver, just like he did in the 4 Nations Face-Off a few months ago. Game 6 of the championship final. Do or die. This is when legacies are made. What will McDavid’s be?
