How do you interpret what Connor McDavid was saying about coaching? Are you surprised how vocal McDavid has been this season? Do you sense a bigger issue between the coaches and players? Does this season feel it will be different from the past two years? What needs to be Edmonton’s focus in the last 11 games? TSN Oilers reporter Ryan Rishaug joined SC with Jay Onrait to discuss.
@Edmonton Oilers
15 Comments
as far as mcjesus praising cooper, i wouldn't read too much into it as a tampa fan…hopefully connor and the oilers can make staying in EDM for the long haul a reality. hopefully they can make a go of it but they got a lot of issues to address to be honest.
mcjesus isn't coming to tampa by trade. period. TBL is a deep p-off contender as-is for the next 2-3 seasons and they don't need mcjesus relative to what they would have to give up for him.
EDM would expect as a minimum, hypothetically:
2-1st rounders
2-young talented players (conor geekie, jj moser)
1-bonafide star (brayden point)
tampa would have to clear at least 14-16m in salary just to accommodate mcjesus. for connor's next deal, TBL def isn't going to pay him $18m-$20m AAV either.
plus, anyone who thinks any one of kucherov, point or vasilevskiy wouldn't be included in a trade to EDM is delusional. anyone who STILL thinks tampa would be better off in trading all the players and picks mentioned for mcjesus, needs to stop doing street drugs and go to rehab immediately.
tampa as-is will be a deep p-off contender for the next 2-3 seasons. beyond that it's hard to say because they don't have much prospects or draft capital.
as far as mcjesus waiting till 2028 to be a UFA and sign with tampa, highly unlikely too. he doesn't look like a guy that would leave edmonton high and dry. meaning connor would have the decency to allow EDM to trade him so the team gets something back in return.
finally, if connor decides to leave EDM, there's gonna be better teams (on the come-up) than tampa in 2027/2028 with a longer cup contending window.
tampa's focus needs to be on getting rid of victor hedman and even ryan mcdonagh this summer. darren raddysh needs a new contract and nikita kucherov is coming up for an extension in 2027.
Sounds like the beginning of the long slide to mediocrity … punctuated by McDavid leaving for an American team after next season.
People…. first comes the Owners who choose the Message or direction of the Team then comes the System that will project Ownerships message accurately then comes the Coach who manages it then comes the Players who man it.
Connor Mcdavid correctly identified the components of a well run Team that had just beaten his own Team…
Yes, the Oilers need a good System run by a Coach who understands how to adjust it and manned by Players dedicated to learning it and to executing it…..and if any of those pieces are lacking then the Oilers will look 2nd best against a Team like Tampa Bay…. yes the Oilers looked 2nd best….Mcdavid set the table here….you do the math and figure out where things are going South…I think he likes his Coach and his Teammates but wants a new System a NewAge Hockey System he can win a Cup with, a PROVEN SYSTEM.
I mean, the coaching is one part of the equation.. in watching Cooper coach Team Canada, he always knew what he was going to do, he had the strategy down pat.. and he did things that other coaches might have shied away from..1st example, putting McDavid with Celebrini.. there was a calculated risk to it but Cooper just has that next level of brilliance and clearly could see that the two boys could work well side by side… and he was right in that decision. No question that the chemistry between the youngster and McDavid was amazing to watch for all of us. Cooper also trusted the players when he'd put them in a certain configuration. The only changes he couldn't anticipate were when Captain Sid went down to that egregious injury by Gudas..
Compare that to Knoblauch, who goes with the safest option, at least he did until Draisaitl got injured, now he's being forced to pair McDavid with others and I think that's where alot of 97's frustration is coming from. He wants coach to think outside the box like Cooper did in the Olympics, try different things, test line configurations etc… No wonder he's frustrated.
I think he's also disappointed that the defense by the Oilers D is patchy at best and that there isn't a team buy in to play that defensively strong game every time. When they don't do their work load, it's that much more he has to carry and try to solve with no help from his skilled teammates. Unlike what he had in Team Canada with that incredible defense behind him..
As a Jets fan, what also blows me away is that they are, right now only 7 points ahead of my Jets who are floundering badly this year. I hope Oilers can sort it out.
He wears the "C". Part of the job description is speaking to the media. If he wasn't comfortable with this, why would they slap the "C" on his chest??
Uff…this Canadian media ppl are soooo…cautious in their comments . That' s bit laughable.
What Connor said was that their own coaching in Oil is not in the level of very top teams.
The team is not either. But even him can' t piss in his own cereals.
The chances to succeed in this season look slim to Oil. They have a goalie issue and defense issue.
If they fail, Connor is stepping in for looking for other options.
Let's not say he's the best player in the league anymore. He's regressed quite a bit.
He point finger?
Cooper comments have anything to do with olympics and 4 nations? Theres been some good coaches thru mcdavid era….just saying
The goalie situation for last 4 years doesn't help either Jarry trade was a mistake.
Tampa tampering….watch this is marner vegas all over again….. mcdavid will sign in tampa
Oilers will make playoffs! Believe!!
This team has had three long playoff runs with the same core. I don't blame them for being fatigued.
Rantings of an entitled man-child. McDavid got the exact coach he wanted and asked for. He is too worried about making his big Crosby, Orr, Lemieux, Gretzky highlight reel moment but in the mean time his greed for personal greatness is irrational. Canada lost the gold medal at the Olympics because of his "me first" attitude. He makes more in one year than most regular people make in their lifetime! More cheese, less whine Conner.
I think McDavid is frustrated with the situation he finds himself in. He’s not happy with the coaching and he’s not pleased with the way his team is playing. It’s not necessarily what he’s saying, but I think it’s clearly obvious in his body language. Both on the bench and the way he acts when the coach calls a time out. McDavid needs to own the fact his team is not playing well. He needs to motivate his teammates in a positive way, and he needs to make it clear to both the team and to the media that he is the one that needs to play better— especially in his own end. He has to take responsibility for his team not playing well. Enough talk about why the other team is playing better than them. That’s bs. That sounds like a guy who’s feeling sorry for himself.