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The Edmonton Oilers are limping into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs — but they still have the best player in the world in Connor McDavid. And the superstar center believes his squad has what it takes to make another deep postseason run this spring.
“I don’t like the theory that people are counting us out,” McDavid said on Tuesday, per Derek Van Diest of NHL.com. “We’re a great team here. We’ve had bumps and bruises along the way here, but we’re a dangerous team when we’re rolling and we’re healthy. I think you’ll see that over the next little while and we’re looking forward to showing that.”
The Oilers have had to deal with multiple injuries to key players down the stretch, including McDavid and fellow superstar Leon Draisaitl, who have both missed time with separate ailments.
But McDavid made it clear he's fully healthy ahead of a fourth consecutive first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings.
“I’ve felt, personally, night and day better from before the injury just in terms of rest,” McDavid said after missing eight games with a lower-body ailment. “Not getting a break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, in February, which I’m not complaining about at all, I feel night and day better since the injury.”
Edmonton hasn't been fully healthy since March 4. Along with McDavid and Draisaitl, the team has missed Zach Hyman, Trent Frederic, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman and Troy Stecher for various periods throughout the last month-and-a-half.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch said earlier this week that almost everyone is expected to play in Game 1 against the Kings, except Ekholm, who has been ruled out for the entire series. The blue liner has missed 13 of 17 games since March 4.
“I wish I could spin that one for you, but it’s obviously disappointing,” McDavid said of losing arguably the team's most important defenseman. “There’s no way around that. Obviously, we’ll miss him for a little bit. But that being said, he’s going to do everything he can to get healthy whenever that may be. He’s a great player, does everything right, maybe the best all-around defenseman there is. He’s a big loss.”
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Connor McDavid, Oilers could be underdogs against Kings in first-round matchup
After easily dispatching the Kings in five games in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs — and marching all the way to Game 7 of the Finals afterwards — the Oilers might not be the favorites this year.
Los Angeles is looking potent, with Darcy Kuemper playing some of the best hockey of his career between the pipes and the team scoring prolifically in front of him. The Kings have won four games in a row and eight of their last 10, opening up a six-point lead on the Oilers in the Pacific Division.
Despite not having home-ice advantage this time around, Edmonton has beaten L.A. in three consecutive Round 1 matchups and are laser-focused on making another deep run in 2025.
“Guys are healthier than it may seem,” McDavid told Van Diest. “I think guys have kind of this aura about us that we’re the walking wounded, but we’re just fine. Everybody is going to be ready to roll, everybody is doing whatever they can to be back.”
Game 1 between the Oilers and Kings is slated for this weekend at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
