In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, Connor McDavid celebrated his 27th birthday with a 10th straight win, putting this roster in the franchise history books. But, while a great day for McDavid and the Oilers, there was some less-than-great news for two members of the team, both of whom were excluded from the 2024 All-Star Game.
McDavid Turns 27, Simply Continues to Wow
On his 27th birthday, McDavid continued to showcase his brilliance, surpassing Glenn Anderson for the fourth-most points in Oilers history. McDavid’s extraordinary impact was evident as he extended his point streak to 10 games, contributing to the Oilers’ 10 straight victories with a win over the Montreal Canadiens in an overtime thriller. He got the game-winning assist on the Evan Bouchard goal.
McDavid’s illustrious career includes five-time league-leading performances in points, three MVP awards, a 60-goal season, and the distinction of being the fifth-fastest player to reach 900 career points. McDavid, the youngest captain in NHL history, boasts an impressive resume with six 100-point seasons, seven NHL All-Star appearances, and a World Junior Gold medal. At 27, McDavid’s continued excellence solidifies his standing as the best player on the planet.
Hyman and Bouchard Snubbed for All-Star Selection
There was a theme for the All-Star announcements on Saturday as the NHL revealed the final 12 players that would be joining the original selections at the All-Star game in February. Leon Draisaitl was selected as were three players from the Toronto Maple Leafs and four players from the Vancouver Canucks. Maple Leafs forwards William Nylander and Mitchell Marner, along with defenseman Morgan Rielly, secured their spots. The Vancouver Canucks will be well-represented with forwards J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and goalie Thatcher Demko, all earning their spots through the fan vote. They will join defenseman Quinn Hughes in Toronto.
Related: Oilers’ 5 Best Players Much Better Than Maple Leafs’ 5 Best
The fact that so many players from two Canadian teams got the spots means those fans came out and voted. Clearly, Oilers fans failed to do their part to get Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard in, both of whom are extremely deserving. There are only four defenseman on the entire All-Star roster, which is incredible when you think about it.
I’m particularly disappointed that Hyman won’t get the reward of playing at an All-Star Game in front of his old fan base. As for Bouchard, I get the sense this was only the first of many chances to participate in the game. He’ll be there. It’s a matter of when, not if.
There are a couple of potential replacements to be named with injuries to Connor Bedard and possible Jack Eichel. The likelihood, however, is that those replacements will come from their respective teams because of the NHL’s rules to have a player represented from each franchise.
Oilers Set Franchise Record With 10 Consecutive Wins
Doing something not even the Oilers of the Dynasty years could do, Edmonton won their 10th consecutive game on Saturday night. It’s quite the feat for a roster that started out so poorly to being the 2023-24 season. The team has turned things around in a major way, thanks to contributions on offense, defense and in goal.
The Oilers are holding teams to under two goals per game, while Stuart Skinner has gone 5-0-0, made 140 of 146 saves (a .959 SV%). It’s been a credit to the team to stick with what the new coaching staff is preaching, even when down in games. Their next opponent is the defensively-challenged Toronto Maple Leafs.
It will be interesting to see if there is a drop-off in effort after setting the franchise record, or if the Oilers can push the pedal down even more. Admittedly, they haven’t gotten out to their best starts in the previous two games.
