“I’m fortunate to have played with some really great players… very grateful,” McDavid said after the game according to NHL.com, reflecting on the achievement.

McDavid reached 1,200 points in 784 games, becoming the third-fastest player in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. With Leon Draisaitl out of the lineup, his performance carried extra weight as the Oilers continue to fight for position in the Pacific Division.

Historic milestone comes at key moment

This was not just a milestone; it came in an important stretch of the season. McDavid also recorded his fifth career 40-goal season, showing his consistent scoring ability year after year.

Coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to what makes him effective: “He’s so difficult to check… he’s determined to get to the net.” That effort was clear on his go-ahead goal, where he pushed through defenders to give Edmonton the lead.

Oilers get needed support in playoff push

The Oilers also got help from the rest of the lineup. Jack Roslovic scored twice, and Evan Bouchard added three assists as the team won three of its last five games.

“We need to be playing like that… it’s a playoff-hockey type game,” Knoblauch said. With the standings tight and key players injured, Edmonton will need this type of performance to stay in the playoff race.

“I coach to win our next game and look at how we can make our team better each day,” Knoblauch stated during his media availability on Monday, via @EdmontonOilers on X. “When things are going well, there’s very little criticism. When there’s losing, everyone needs to look in the mirror.”

Knoblauch’s statement came after a question about McDavid’s public call-out. While Knoblauch and McDavid are far from engaging in an all-out media war, it’s clear there’s tension in the Oilers’ locker room.

McDavid sets record straight on his comment

According to McDavid, his comments on the Oilers‘ coaching and team functioning were blown out of proportion. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment speaking and the upset tone in his voice that made his words come out much harsher than he intended them. Now, he’s made his argument.

“We’re not taking shots. It’s just everybody can be better myself included. Not sure how it was taken that way. It wasn’t supposed to be that way,” McDavid said about his previous comments, via TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. “I understand how people could look at it that way, but it’s not what I was intending to do at all.”

Signs of frustration in McDavid, Oilers

Still, it’s clear something is bothering McDavid. Whether it is the current losing streak, the fact that the Oilers can’t run away with a Pacific Division that is filled with toothless-looking teams, the weight of last season’s missteps, or a combination of it all, the captain is upset. His comments after the Lightning’s visit to Rogers Place were only a sign that he has some built-up frustration with the organization he is committed to through the 2027–28 NHL season.

For the fans, this may be seen as both a blessing and a burden. Trying times like the ones Edmonton is currently in are what make or break teams and seasons. If the Oilers can push through, then the sky may be the limit. If they don’t, though, then they were never really going to be a threat come the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Hips and groin stuff. All good,” McDavid commented shortly after leaving practice with trainers, via Gene Principe from Sportsnet.

McDavid has yet to miss a game in the 2025-26 NHL campaign. For the Oilers, keeping him healthy is paramount as they enter the home stretch of the regular season and engage in crucial matchups with playoff implications.

Oilers can’t afford to lose McDavid

Needless to say, having McDavid miss time could well be all she wrote for Edmonton. Mired in a losing streak, McDavid recently questioned the Oilers and head coach Kris Knoblauch, hinting there’s tension and animosity brewing in Alberta.

Moreover, the Oilers will be without Leon Draisaitl for the remainder of the regular season. The German star has been placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and is projected to return from his lower-body injury for the Stanley Cup Playoffs—that is, of course, if Edmonton makes the cut.

McDavid and Oilers’ playoff chances

Luckily, the fact that the Oilers are engaged in a “pillow fight”—as McDavid described it—with the rest of the Pacific Division helps their chances. Still, Draisaitl’s absence has been dearly felt.

While Draisaitl returned home to Germany to be treated by a specialist, Edmonton is 1–2–0 and has been outscored 12–7. Something must change. And in order for things to change, McDavid must be on the ice. If not, then the Oilers will lose their main weapon in the ongoing postseason fight—even if it’s only a pillow.

“[The Lightning] got a great system. They’re perfectly coached and extremely well organized,” McDavid said before hinting Knoblauch must figure out a way for the Oilers to replicate the Bolts’ success, via TSN’s Ryan Rishaug.

“That’s a coaching question. You can ask [Knoblauch] that question. We’re somewhat rehearsed and organized, but not to their level.”

McDavid’s statement was a clear warning to the Oilers. As much success as Edmonton has had in past NHL seasons, its struggles against the top powerhouses has been a recurrent issue. Regular season or postseason, McDavid is sick and tired of coming up short when it truly matters.

What McDavid’s message means for Oilers

The consecutive multi-goal defeats against the Florida Panthers (4-0) and Tampa Bay Lightning (5-2) at Rogers Place raised alarms that are too loud and invasive for the Oilers to look the other way. McDavid certainly didn’t beat around the bush as he addressed the elephant in the room, hoping to spark immediate change within the locker room.

Moreover, McDavid’s comments signal danger for Edmonton. To say there is trouble in paradise would be generous, considering the past defeats in the Stanley Cup Final and the drama around McDavid in the past offseason are far from what any NHL organization would call paradisiacal.

Still, if there was ever any calm in The Gateway to the North, it’s now veering in a different direction. Adverse conditions may be brewing. Although McDavid wishes the Oilers feed off Leon Draisaitl’s injury, it’s clear it won’t be a perfect storm for the Oilers.

What’s left for the Oilers?

If the Oilers can make it out of it in one piece, then who knows where the limit is for this team? If not, though, it might be all she wrote for the championship window of an aging squad that is showing cracks in its foundation.

McDavid raising questions about his head coach is far from an encouraging sign as the Oilers gear up for the home stretch of the regular season. Eleven games separate Edmonton from the Stanley Cup Playoffs—where anything can happen—and an unexpected trainwreck that would send the Oilers into an abyss of uncertainty.

“Obviously, disappointing. Losing a guy like [Leon Draisaitl] sucks, it makes it tough. But we saw different guys step up, that’s what it’s about. We’re in the thick of a playoff race, it’s going to take everyone to get us in,” McDavid commented on Draisaitl’s injury, via @EdmontonOilers on X. “It takes all of us to be a bit more dangerous, shoot the puck a little bit more. Find different ways to score more goals.”

Draisaitl is out with a lower-body injury sustained on March 15, when Edmonton hosted Nashville at Rogers Place. Initially thought to be a minor issue, the Oilers’ latest injury update on Draisaitl proved Kris Knoblauch wrong, as the head coach suggested a short-term absence for McDavid’s sidekick.

How many games will Draisaitl miss?

Leon Draisaitl is trending to miss 14 games to close out the NHL regular season. Whether he will be back for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ first round—if the Edmonton Oilers even make the postseason without him—is a different story.

Regardless, anything can happen. Because he’s been placed on LTIR, Draisaitl must miss at least 10 games and 24 days of the 2025–26 NHL regular season. Thus, he could make his return on April 8, when the Oilers take on the San Jose Sharks on the road.

If Connor McDavid and the rest of the Oilers can keep the team afloat during Draisaitl’s absence, then Edmonton may have clinched a playoff spot by then, allowing Draisaitl to be rested until the postseason. If not, however, he may be rushed back onto the ice in a desperate attempt to salvage the season in the Gateway to the North.

With a record of 31–25–8, the Oilers are only a few points away from falling out of a postseason position with less than 20 games remaining. A strong run could still push them back into contention in the Pacific Division, but recent results have raised concerns.

According to Pierre LeBrun, McDavid could soon face an important decision about his future if the team fails to make another deep playoff run. “At a minimum, the feeling is McDavid will give the Oilers one more season next year in this contention window,” LeBrun wrote in his latest column for The Athletic.

First-round exit could raise bigger questions

LeBrun also suggested that a disappointing playoff result this season could influence how McDavid views the team’s chances of winning a championship. “If the Oilers flame out in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, I can’t discount how No. 97 will feel about that, about the team’s ability to win, and about his place in it,” LeBrun wrote.

The report indicates that the most likely scenario is that McDavid waits until the summer of 2027 to reassess his future, though the outcome of the current season could still shape his thinking moving forward.

McDavid signed a team-friendly extension that keeps him under contract for two more seasons, and how the Oilers perform during that window could ultimately determine whether the superstar center remains in Edmonton for the long term or considers a move elsewhere.

McDavid and company are welcoming Connor Murphy to Edmonton. The move was confirmed after reports indicated the Oilers were going after the veteran teammate of Connor Bedard on the Chicago Blackhawks. The feeling around the organization is that there are more moves from where that one came.

Thus, as McDavid and the Oilers received a strong warning from Stan Bowman before the trade deadline, the captain had some words of his own for the front office. The message in The Gateway to the North is clear: make adjustments if needed, but don’t fix what isn’t broken.

“Finding a way to add without having to subtract is always a great thing,” McDavid reminded the front office before the trade deadline and heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, via @EdmontonOilers on X. “Given our stage and where we’re at, draft picks aren’t as valuable to us. I’m excited about the move.”

McDavid’s Oilers make key trade

As McDavid admitted, draft picks hold little value for the Oilers right now; Edmonton is in a “win-now” scenario. That was the primary driver behind McDavid signing his two-year, $25 million contract extension—a deal that begins next season and keeps him in Northern Alberta through 2028. He has no interest in waiting for draft prospects to blossom into NHL-caliber players.

The Oilers’ decision to part with a 2028 second-round pick for a proven defense-first blueliner like Connor Murphy adds size and veteran experience at exactly the right time. While hindsight is 20-20, on paper, this is a significant move for Stan Bowman and the front office. However, just because Edmonton made a sound business decision doesn’t necessarily mean Chicago got the short end of the stick.

With Murphy’s deal set to expire after this season, his impact will be measured in the short term. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are playing the long game; they won’t even use that pick until 2028, and fans in the Windy City may not see that player in the NHL until 2030. The deal may have all the ingredients of a classic win-win: Chicago continues its patient rebuild, while Edmonton goes all-in. To declare a winner this early would be a mistake.

In a press conference, Bowman outlined the team’s shortcomings, pointing directly to the defensive zone. “We haven’t played well defensively as a team. There are many contributing factors that include forwards, defence and goaltending. Until we learn as a team to be smarter in how we approach the game there will be highs and lows. I think that is a mentality shift. We have seen it in spurts, but not consistently enough.

“There has to be a bigger commitment from all our players to make smarter plays and not try to score every shift. There are lots of details underneath that. We have some players at forward, defence and goalie who need to play better.”

Thursday night served as a reminder of how dangerous the Edmonton Oilers can be at their best. In a crucial NHL divisional matchup against the LA Kings, the Oilers looked like an elite team, earning a dominant 8-1 victory.

The ups and downs of the Oilers

What makes performances like that confusing, and perhaps frustrating, is that just two nights earlier, they lost 6-5 to the Anaheim Ducks. On Saturday afternoon, they allowed five goals again in a 5-4 loss to the young San Jose Sharks.

Although the Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division, that position reflects the overall struggles within the division. Through 61 games, they hold a 29-24-8 record, which underscores that this group has not consistently looked like the contender their fan base expects.

McDavid’s strong production

Oilers center Connor McDavid recorded three more assists in Saturday afternoon’s game against the San Jose Sharks, but it was not enough in the 5-4 defeat. McDavid now has 103 points in 61 games, the most in the NHL, and he is on pace to reach 130 points for the third time in four years. His next game is scheduled for Tuesday night at home against the Ottawa Senators.

Veteran blueliner Connor Murphy might be on the move. According to a report from an NHL insider, the 32-year-old is in the crosshairs of Connor McDavid’s Oilers, who are doing everything in their power to redeem themselves after back-to-back heartbreaks in the Stanley Cup Final.

Although the Blackhawks remain a work in progress—with Connor Bedard essentially running a one-man show—the Oilers believe the experienced Chicago defenseman can be the perfect addition to their championship equation.

“Hearing talks are intensifying for Edmonton to acquire Connor Murphy from Chicago,” Elliotte Friedman reported on his X account. If the report turns out to be true, the trade between McDavid’s Oilers and Bedard’s Blackhawks involving Murphy may very well be dubbed the “Tre Connor” move.

Trade details

According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Murphy is headed to Edmonton for a second-round pick. Moreover, the Blackhawks will reportedly retain half of his $4.4 million cap hit ($2.2 million).

Murphy’s contract comes to an end after this season, so Chicago would only carry that burden for a couple of months before it’s wiped clean ahead of the offseason.

Murphy’s numbers

So far in the 2025-26 NHL season, Murphy has recorded perfect attendance, playing in all 60 games for the Blackhawks. Recording an average ice time of 16:34 minutes per game, Murphy has put up 13 points (4 goals and 9 assists), as well as a -3 plus/minus and 46 penalty minutes (PIM). Murphy’s numbers indicate he is not a menace in the offensive zone, but he can be very effective in his own zone. For the Oilers, that may be all they’ve been looking for.

Murphy usually plays on Chicago’s second defensive pairing alongside 21-year-old Kevin Korchinski. If he were to land in Edmonton, he could keep a similar role in the top four or fill in on the third pairing. Daily Faceoff lists 26-year-old Spencer Stastney and 25-year-old Ty Emberson in those roles at the moment.

Murphy’s veteran presence could provide a much-needed spark for McDavid and company. Edmonton has allowed way too many goals as of late, engaging in more high-scoring games than the team would like. In the playoffs, that may well be a recipe for disaster—even for a team with McDavid and Draisaitl leading the attack.

Why move makes sense for Bedard and Blackhawks

For Chicago, the writing has been on the wall for a while now. Though a hot start to the season gave fans hope of a miraculous ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs—similar to what the San Jose Sharks are on track to accomplish—the Blackhawks have run out of gas. Now, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Murphy, on an expiring contract, has long been linked to a move before the trade deadline. Now, the time may have finally come.

Placing Regula and Mangiapane on waivers opens the door for other NHL teams to claim them, while also giving Edmonton options in terms of salary cap management and lineup adjustments.

For Connor McDavid and the Oilers, every roster decision carries weight. Whether this is a short-term adjustment or part of a broader recalibration, the coming days will determine if either player remains in the organization or finds a new opportunity elsewhere in the league.

Can Connor McDavid and the Oilers make the playoffs?

The Edmonton Oilers currently sit third in the Pacific Division with 66 points behind the Golden Knights and the Ducks. They’re in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

On paper, that position places them in a qualifying spot, but the margin for error is minimal. A short slump could quickly tighten the standings and force them into a more precarious wild-card battle.

Recent history suggests the Oilers know how to elevate their level when it matters most. In each of the last two seasons with Connor McDavid leading the way, the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final, only to fall to the Florida Panthers. That experience provides both confidence and urgency, as the core understands what it takes to navigate the postseason grind.

Despite the bitter disappointment of losing the chance to win a gold medal for his country, the star thanked all the fans for their great support. “My first Olympics in Milan was a special experience. Thank you, Canada, for your incredible support throughout this ride.”

In the final, Team Canada did not have Sidney Crosby after the captain suffered a lower body injury in the quarterfinals against Czechia. Although Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mitch Marner led a remarkable dominance over Team USA, they were unable to convert their scoring chances.

Has Connor McDavid won a gold medal at the Olympics with Canada?

No. Connor McDavid has not won a gold medal at the Olympics with Team Canada. In fact, the 2026 edition was his first experience in this international tournament, as NHL players had only just been given permission to participate again.

After returning with the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL, McDavid admitted it is a very tough loss to process, but he gave full credit to Team USA, especially goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

“I thought we played well. I thought we did enough to win. Their goalie made some big saves. I thought we also missed some chances. It’s disappointing. No way to sugar coat it. It sucks, but, overall, the experience was good. It was a great group of guys to be around honestly. It was a special group to be a part of. We’ll have those memories for a lifetime.”