Things got a little tense at Edmonton Oilers practice on Sunday (Nov. 9), the day after they suffered one of the worst losses in franchise history, falling to the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 9-1 at Rogers Place.
Related: Ugliest Stats From Oilers’ 9-1 Loss to Avalanche
Video shared on social media by TSN’s Ryan Rishaug shows Oilers captain Connor McDavid engaged in an animated conversation with blueliner Evan Bouchard, along with the latter’s defensive partner Mattias Ekholm.
The exchange didn’t last long, and never really got too heated. Nonetheless, it made waves in Oil Country, where there is great concern about the two-time defending Western Conference champion Oilers’ early-season struggles.
Edmonton has lost three straight games, won just two of its last eight contests, and managed only four regulation victories all season. With 16 points from a record of 6-6-4, the Oilers currently sit seventh in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Western Conference standings.
On Saturday night, the Oilers were flat-out embarrassed by the Avs. The 9-1 result tied the record for largest margin of defeat at home in Edmonton’s NHL history. But what might have been even more troubling than the numbers on the scoreboard was how the Oilers responded to them: with an apparent lack of emotion.
No one was seen trying to fire each other up on the bench. No one tried dropping the gloves to spark their teammates. Generally, no one seemed too angry or upset. And that’s why the scene that unfolded at practice less than 24 hours after Saturday’s historic beatdown should be encouraging for worried Oilers fans.
McDavid Comments on Interaction with Bouchard
For all the imagination and creativity in his game, McDavid doesn’t have a particularly animated personality. He’s not one that’s seen as either giving rousing speeches or laying down the law (at least not publicly). So to see him engaging with teammates like he did on Sunday hits differently than might a similar scenario involving other captains around the NHL.
Speaking to media following practice on Sunday, McDavid was asked about his interaction with Bouchard, and provided a fairly complete answer.
“Everybody as a whole wants to be better, myself included,” McDavid said. “Everybody wants to better, everybody has more to bring, so you start seeing some of that practice, and it’s got to translate into games. It’s normal to have conversations with guys about different things you’re seeing out there. The game has felt at times unorganized, out of sync. You only figure that stuff out through talking and communicating with your teammates, so I think you’re starting to see some of that.”
Knoblauch Encouraged by Conversation Between Players
Likewise, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t try to downplay the moment between McDavid and Bouchard. In fact, he viewed it as a positive development.
Coach Knoblauch spoke following today's #Oilers practice as the team looks to rebound from yesterday's blowout loss to Colorado & shift their focus to tomorrow vs. Columbus.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/zGiEBSeh32
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 9, 2025
“I think there’s frustration, but there’s also conversation,” Knoblauch said while talking to media after Sunday’s practice. “I think the worst part of fighting or animosity is when partners don’t talk or a team doesn’t talk. Because when nobody’s talking, nobody knows what anybody’s thinking about. And right now, there’s communication, which I appreciate.
“And yeah, if somebody’s frustrated, they should be frustrated. But we’re not going to grow and get past it if everyone’s silent, and I like that everyone is talking, whether it’s been in the dressing room, in our meetings, or on the ice. But we’ve also got to (take) some of that frustration out on the other team, also.”
Exchange Is Not Necessarily a Sign of Discord
It’s no secret that the first 16 games of this season have been, to put it bluntly, a disaster for Bouchard. While almost every Oilers player shares some blame for the team’s poor start, none are more guilty than the 26-year-old defenceman, whose rating of minus-11 is tied for the fifth-worst plus/minus in the NHL.
He’s made countless egregious errors, often which seem to result in the puck ending up in Edmonton’s net. Meanwhile, his offensive output – which in the past has more than offset his defensive shortcomings – is well below the prolific level of the last couple seasons that led to Bouchard getting a four-year, $42 million contract extension.
With that in mind, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that McDavid – and by extension, the rest of the Oilers – is fed up with Bouchard, and that their exchange is indicative of some sort of discord. But that’s not the case. McDavid, in fact, went to bat for the beleaguered Bouchard just a few days prior.
What was witnessed at practice on Sunday is nothing more than the necessary evils of a successful relationship. The only reason it’s making news is because it’s the kind of thing that’s rarely seen in public from this bunch. But it’s exactly what’s needed if the Oilers are going to turn things around.
Oilers Look to Turn Things Around Starting Monday
These Oilers are never going to be a team of rah-rah emotion or take-no-prisoners physicality. That’s not who they are, nor is it necessarily who they have to be. After all, they got within one goal of the Stanley Cup 17 months ago and came up just two wins short of a championship this June.
But if they are going to take that one extra step, they might need to evolve just a bit, starting with the man wearing the ‘C’. And maybe that’s what is happening now.
Truthfully, no one really knows the actual dynamics of a team unless they’re in the locker room, anyway. Everyone else can only judge by what they see, and they’ll be watching keenly to see how the Oilers perform against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rogers Place on Monday (Nov. 10).
