Let the Questions Begin: McDavid Calls Oilers "Average" Following Playoff Elimination

The Edmonton Oilers will take a month or so to let the sting of an early playoff elimination dissipate. From there, they'll get to work.

That work will include how to improve a roster that clearly wasn't good enough. Not only did they not make a long postseason run, but they also didn't beat the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round -- a team they were supposed to beat. Even if injuries hadn't impacted the team, it's clear something needs to change. 

That work will also start with a conversation about Connor McDavid. Following his blunt assessment of the team he played with all season, when he noted, “We were an average team all year", there will be questions about his motivation to stick around. 

This season was the Oilers first attemp to show McDavid they could get him closer to winning after he gave them two more years with an extension that was no more expensive than his last contract. What did they do in return? They left huge questions in goal, didn't add the depth required, and let key pieces from the previous runs walk. 

For a franchise built around generational talent and Stanley Cup expectations, that might not sit well. It certainly can't feel good today.

It isn't just frustration after a first-round loss to the Anaheim Ducks that should worry the Oilers and McDavid. It's how much this team took a step back.

Yes, they were a tired bunch. Most of this team played more hockey than anyone in the past few seasons. McDavid looked like he was running on fumes. At the same time, tired or not, this group in Edmonton never found its identity. Night-to-night, and all season long, they were inconsistent, suffered defensive lapses, and couldn't go on a run that would have made anyone inside or outside the organization confident they were a top contender. 

McDavid’s words also raise bigger questions about the direction of the team. With just two seasons remaining on his current deal, the urgency to build a legitimate winner around him is intensifying.  He's dying to win the Cup alongside Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, and Zach Hyman, but they need a better supporting cast. 

The fact that he sees this team as “average” signals a level of frustration that goes beyond one playoff series. Perhaps he never truly believed this group could reach that second gear. Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Oilers were aware they didn't "have it" this season and, as a result, weren't giving their all. Kevin Bieksa responded that it would be a shame if that were their mentality. What kind of leadership does that show? Try only when your team is good enough on paper to win? Coast when you're not sure it is?

That’s where the focus shifts to management. The Oilers must address key issues—starting in goal and extending to forward depth—if they hope show McDavid and the other top stars on this team they're serious about this season being little more than a blip.

The Oilers need to hope McDavid saw this season as a confluence of unfortunate and unexpected events. Untimely injuries, too much hockey, an Olympic year, and other factors might have slowed them down. If he doesn't believe that, there will be questions about McDavid’s long-term future in Edmonton.

While there’s no indication he’s looking to leave, the reality is simple. If the Oilers need to be better than they were this season.  McDavid said, "That's been the whole year. We've been searching for consistency the whole year. Obviously, we didn't find it in the playoffs." Draisaitl added, "Never really found what you need to find this time of year, especially to go all the way. In my opinion just not good enough."

That can't happen again. 

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