After a summer filled with speculation about Leon Draisaitl’s potential contract extension, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid finally addressed the situation in an interview with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. While reflecting on the Oilers’ devastating Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid admitted the defeat still stings.
“It’s something that you’ll never really get over,” McDavid said, referencing how close Edmonton came to winning the Cup after rallying from a 0–3 series deficit. The Panthers edged out the Oilers 2–1 in Game 7, marking the closest McDavid has come to winning the Stanley Cup during his time in Edmonton, and the franchise’s first Finals appearance in a Game 7 since 2006.
Despite the heartache, McDavid emphasized that he has moved on from the loss and is focused on the upcoming season. In the interview, he revealed changes to his offseason training regimen, aimed at preventing the fatigue he felt at the start of the previous year. “I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” McDavid said, noting how his past training was more “volume-heavy” but left him tired early in the season.
McDavid is coming off a stellar 2023–24 season, where he scored 32 goals and led the league with 100 assists. His postseason performance was equally impressive, contributing 8 goals and a league-best 42 points, earning him the Conn Smythe Trophy, despite Edmonton’s loss. It was only the sixth time in NHL history that a player won the Conn Smythe while their team fell short of winning the Cup.
As the Oilers prepare for another Cup run, McDavid’s leadership, alongside Draisaitl’s potential extension, will be crucial to their hopes of finally lifting the Stanley Cup.
