The Edmonton Oilers held their exit interviews with the media on Saturday, and captain Connor McDavid and superstar teammate Leon Draisaitl were brutally honest in their assessment of the organization's current state.
After advancing to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals, the Edmonton Oilers were knocked out of the first round in these playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks in six games.
On Saturday, the players held exit interviews with the media in Edmonton, and superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid provided brutally honest reviews of the campaign.
The sourness of the season doesn’t simply come with being eliminated in the first round; what adds to the frustration and disappointment is how the previous two years have gone for the Oilers, and that they were beaten by a roster with a significantly younger core and were favorites for this series.
Draisaitl, who leads the Stanley Cup playoffs in scoring with 10 points in six games, was asked if he thought the team might have taken themselves or the matchup against the Ducks for granted, given how the last two campaigns have gone.
"I can tell you from within our room, we're not going into games or into series, and we're like, 'oh, this is going to be a walk in the park,' you never think like that as an athlete," Draisaitl told reporters.
"But I think maybe we lost a little bit of that fire that we had the last two years," the Oilers center added. "I don't know if 'taking it for granted' I would say, but I do think that there's many parts that somehow we took a little step back."
With that, Draisaitl was also asked whether he is concerned about the team taking a step back after their two straight visits to the final in recent history.
"I am concerned because we're not trending in the right direction. We've taken big steps backwards, and we got to get a grip of this and head back in the right direction."
The Edmonton captain added his two cents and agreed with Draisaitl's take on the season.
"I feel the same way," McDavid said to the media. "I agree with Leon, the organization as a whole has taken a step back.
"It starts with me, it starts with Leon. We all could be better, we all need to be better," he said.
Furthermore, he was asked if there is anything to the narrative of leaving in two years if the team isn't knocking on the door for a Stanley Cup. For context, McDavid signed a two-year contract extension in early October, and that deal expires following the 2027-28 campaign.
"I want to win, and I want to win here in Edmonton, that's my focus."
While McDavid provided some reassurance, from Draisaitl's perspective, things may feel a little different.
"He's signed for two more years, and God knows where that goes, but we have two years here right now. We have to get significantly better."
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