Connor McDavid didn't have the greatest start in 2023-24, leading to speculation of an injury. He put those rumors to rest but did explain why he started slowly and how to avoid it in 2024-25.

At the start of last season, Connor McDavid came out of the gates slowly (for him). With just two goals and nine points in October, there was talk of a nagging injury. He's denied it but did talk about what he did wrong, that he won't do again in 2024-25.

With the 2024-25 NHL season approaching, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is determined to avoid a repeat of last year's sluggish start. The Oilers began the 2023-24 season with a dismal 2-9-2 record, which nearly derailed their playoff hopes early on. McDavid recently acknowledged that fatigue from overtraining during the previous off-season played a major role in their slow start, leading to poor performance from both himself and the team. The Oilers’ struggles were felt across the board—offensively, defensively, and in net — resulting in a coaching change.

During an interview with Mark Spector, McDavid reflected on last season and said that his intense training regimen led to fatigue that affected his on-ice performance. "I was very tired and fatigued from a long summer of training," McDavid admitted, adding that it "translated" to his play.

He and Leon Draisaitl called it a Cup or bust season and he approached the year that way, working hard in the off-season. Unfortunately, he believes he worked too hard. 

Learning from that experience, McDavid emphasized the importance of balance this off-season, focusing on rest rather than intense early workouts. He pointed out, "You can’t win the Cup in September and October, but you can certainly put yourself in a tough spot."

The Oilers proved exactly that in 2023-24, when the team had such a lousy start, it wound up leading to a coaching change. Then-head coach Jay Woodcroft was fired and Kris Knoblauch was brought in. The Oilers turned things around, becoming arguably the best team in the NHL from that point on and going on a run, losing out in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers. 

McDavid found his rhythm and wound up producing in a more McDavid fashion. He finished the regular season with 132 points and posted another 42 points in the playoffs.

This year, McDavid and the Oilers have taken the mistakes from last season and learned, allowing themselves time to recover and avoid burnout. With this new approach, the team is looking for a stronger start to the 2024-25 season, making it so that not every game becomes a must-win.