Connor McDavid didn’t hide his frustration after the Edmonton Oilers‘ first-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers‘ captain delivered a clear statement during his final media availability of the 2025–26 NHL season, mirroring the tone set by Leon Draisaitl.
“Yeah, I feel the same way,” McDavid admitted, via NHL.com. “I feel the same as I did a couple of days ago and agree with [Draisaitl] that the organization as a whole has taken a step back. It starts with me, it starts with Leon, we all can be better, we need to be better.”
Hearing that both franchise cornerstones are upset with the current direction is the last thing Edmonton needed heading into a long NHL offseason. Perhaps it turns out to be a blessing in disguise, but only if the recent comments serve as a wake-up call. McDavid and Draisaitl made their thoughts and emotions clear.
Draisaitl’s comments
The ball is in the front office’s court now. Either they get back on track, or they may have to brace for the final years of “McDraisaitl” in the Gateway to the North. If McDavid—who’s not one to usually go off script with the media—made that clear, Draisaitl—whose public outbursts are far more common—didn’t sugarcoat his emotions whatsoever.
Leon Draisaitl during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
“I am concerned because we’re not trending in the right direction,” Draisaitl stated during his end-of-season press conference. “In what world do you have the best player in the world on your team and you’re not looking to win? I know we’re looking to win, but we need to be better, we have to be better, there’s no way around it. “
McDavid and Draisaitl’s stats
Draisaitl and McDavid combined for 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The German was coming off a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 14 games down the stretch of the 2025–26 NHL regular season. Though he may not have been at 100%, he was the leading scorer for his team.
However, with Draisaitl battling setbacks and McDavid suffering a foot fracture in Game 2 of the series, the Oilers needed the rest of the team to step up and help the star duo out. At the end of the day, Edmonton’s lack of depth was their downfall. Once again, only this time, “McDraisaitl” couldn’t lead them to another Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Feeling as if they were left out to dry by the brass in Alberta, the duo expressed their frustration as they headed out of Rogers Place for one last time until after the summer. McDavid and Draisaitl voiced their feelings in authentic fashion. McDavid wasn’t as blunt as Draisaitl, but both wore their hearts on their sleeves as they faced the media in Edmonton with nothing but sorrow all over their faces.
Draisaitl opens the door for potential McDavid trade
“[McDavid is] signed for two more years, and God knows where that goes, but we have two years here as of right now and we have to get significantly better,” Draisaitl said. If the two-year championship window wasn’t obvious for the Oilers, Draisaitl made sure to remind the organization of it.
McDavid agreed to a two-year, $25 million extension with the Oilers before the start of the 2025–26 NHL season. If the organization continues to take steps backward, the captain may ask out of the organization. It’s a hard truth fans in Edmonton wish to overlook, but Draisaitl has now put that talk in the spotlight.
In the even McDavid requests a trade, it probably won’t take long before Draisaitl asks out as well. His situation is far more complex, though, as he just completed the first season of his eight-year, $122 million contract. Still, the first-round exit against Anaheim has put Edmonton in a very tough spot, and it may only be a matter of time before Pandora’s box is opened.
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