The Edmonton Oilers have lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two seasons. This offseason, GM Stan Bowman renovated the bottom six and put his faith in the goaltending. Meanwhile, the conversation has been about what could be the biggest contract in NHL history. Connor McDavid is entering the final year of his Oilers contract and is looking to add more goals to his resume before signing on the dotted line.
I've had a lot of very good years, and I wouldn't categorize last season as one of those. I'm excited to see how good I can be, motivated to play hockey at the highest level at the Olympics, and to continue to push this group to winning. Whether people believe me or not when I say that, I feel like I've got lots to prove,” McDavid said.
“I want to prove that scoring 50 or 60 is not a one-off,” the Oilers captain continued. “I've had 50 goals, and I've had 100 assists, and I like the goals a little bit more.”
McDavid won his lone Rocket Richard Trophy in 2023 after a 64-goal season. The year before that, Auston Matthews had sniped 60 goals and taken the Hart Trophy from McDavid, who finished second. Last year, McDavid finished tenth in MVP voting after his 100-point campaign.
McDavid has proven that he is the best hockey player in the world throughout his first decade in the league. He wants to score more goals, which should thrill Oilers fans, but his ultimate goal remains unreached. The Stanley Cup has evaded McDavid and the Oilers in his career, and they are looking to crest that hill.
The Oilers already have Leon Draisaitl on a $14 million AAV extension and should be signing McDavid soon. Can they finally win a title? And will McDavid win the Rocket Richard for the second time in his career?
