Oilers 2025-26 Report Cards: Connor McDavid

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Jake Walman, and now we turn our attention to our final player, captain Connor McDavid.

McDavid spent most of the time alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, but he developed chemistry with youngster Matt Savoie down the stretch and into the playoffs. Nugent-Hopkins is no longer a top-line player, so it was time for a new look. McDavid elevates everyone he plays with, and Savoie could benefit by playing with the best player in the world.

This was the final season of McDavid’s eight-year, $100 million contract, but he inked a two-year extension with an identical $12.5 million cap hit before opening day. He’s a generational talent, and the Oilers have him for a few more seasons to try and win the Stanley Cup. The 2015 first-overall pick continues producing at an insane rate, racking up the second-highest point total of his career. Let’s reflect on another outstanding season from No. 97.

2025-26 Performance

Once again, McDavid had a phenomenal season. He had 48 goals and 138 points in 82 games, en route to his sixth Art Ross Trophy. This was his sixth-straight 100-point season and ninth of his 11-year career. The only seasons he didn’t hit 100 points were his rookie season, when he missed 37 games with a broken collar bone, and the pandemic-shortened campaign in 2019-20. Even in that pandemic-shortened season, he still had 97 points in 64 games. He has consistently been the best player in the world since he entered the league.

The 29-year-old finished the campaign with a plus-17 rating, averaging 22:59 per game, the highest average ice time of his career. He also registered 13 power-play goals and 54 power-play points, the second-most of his career in both those categories. The Oilers had the top-ranked power play at 30.6 percent, and McDavid was the biggest reason why. His elite vision, speed, stickhandling, and patience are unmatched.

The Oilers’ captain added one goal and six points in six playoff games, with a minus-8 rating, averaging 23:33 per game. He was clearly playing injured, and he wasn’t himself. He was battling through an ankle injury and didn’t have the explosive strides we are accustomed to seeing. He wasn’t able to use his speed to create time and space.

McDavid Played in His First Olympics

McDavid made his long-awaited and highly anticipated Olympic debut in February. This was the first year that the NHL participated in the Olympics since 2014. We finally got a true best-on-best international tournament, and it delivered.

He registered two goals and 13 points in six games with a plus-5 rating, averaging 20:14 per game. He led the tournament in points, three more than teammate Macklin Celebrini, who was second. The franchise centre set the record for most points in a single Olympic tournament, passing Finnish forward Teemu Selanne’s 11 points at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Not surprisingly, McDavid was named MVP of the tournament.

Unfortunately, McDavid and Team Canada lost the gold medal game to the United States in overtime. He has had a lot of heartbreak these last few seasons. He lost back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and also finished second at the Olympics. He hasn’t been able to win the big one as he’s still searching for that elusive first Stanley Cup, and this defeat added insult to injury. McDavid will likely have another crack at gold at the 2030 Olympics in France.

Overall Grade

After a 100-point season, McDavid earned an A for 2024-25. He scored 26 goals, but he should have had more. His biggest critique was his inability to shoot the puck. He didn’t shoot enough, only recording 196 shots, the fewest since his rookie season. His shot total was significantly higher this season, registering 306 shots, the third-most of his career.

Therefore, he gets an A+. He’s the league’s best player, and he proved that this season. He was nominated for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the player most valuable to his team, alongside Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon. He’s searching for his fourth Hart Trophy. He had a remarkable season, and the Oilers likely aren’t a playoff team without his services.

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