“Giving us another horse in stable”: Connor McDavid shows confidence in Edmonton Oilers management ahead of trade deadline.
NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Carolina Hurricanes – Source: Imagn
The Edmonton Oilers were only one game removed from claiming their first Stanley Cup victory since the end of their dynasty in 1990. They fell just one game short against the Florida Panthers last spring, but aim for a repeat performance with a better ending this time.
The National Hockey League Trading Deadline arrives this Friday at 3:00 PM EST. Based on the latest comments from star captain Connor McDavid, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as 2024 playoff MVP, they could be looking to add to their team to supplement making another deep run in the postseason.
“Management in years past have always done a good job of pitching in and giving us another horse in the stable to help us coming down the stretch and into the playoffs,” McDavid said.
In recent years, the Oilers have made several moves at the NHL Trade Deadline, including bringing in players like Mattias Ekholm, Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick.
There were multiple additions in the offseason by new general manager Stan Bowman, including veterans like Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. However, their offensive total of 18 combined goals leaves plenty to be desired.
Right now, the Oilers have just over $5.1 million of cap space with which to utilize another addition to their roster.
Will the Oilers be able to conserve their energy for another deep postseason run
The challenge for McDavid and company becomes conserving energy for another stretch run and attempt at winning the Stanley Cup.
Having gone the distance in multiple rounds in last year’s postseason after having played an 82-game schedule is a complete grind even for the most conditioned of professional athletes.
McDavid also participated in the Four Nations Face-Off tournament for Team Canada, even scoring the tournament-winning goal to defeat Team USA last month.
How can Edmonton’s most valuable player conserve his energy ahead of the postseason?
“It’s been a tough stretch, it’s been a grind,” McDavid said. “The 4 Nations, then another long road trip (five games). But I take care of myself and it’s my job to be ready to play each and every night. I’ll try to listen to my body.”
McDavid’s statistical output may be slightly off compared to where it was last season, as he has 22 goals and 53 assists through 54 games played, a pace of 103 points; he had 132 and 153 points in the two previous respective seasons.
However, Oilers fans can rest assured that he’s going to almost certainly rev it up in the postseason this spring.
