More Injured Than He Says? Connor McDavid Just Doesn’t Look Right

The Edmonton Oilers were hoping to erase a 6–4 Game 2 loss at home from their memories with a better performance in Game 3 in Anaheim. Instead, it was much more of the same firewagon hockey, with the Oilers falling 7–4 and now trailing 2–1 in the best-of-seven first-round series.

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Connor McDavid was healthy — enough — and produced his first two points of the playoffs, but he still looked far from the unstoppable version of himself the hockey world has come to expect.

His acceleration and burst just haven’t been there since suffering an apparent ankle injury in Game 2, and even before that incident the world’s best player looked off, mishandling pucks among other uncharacteristic moments. If Edmonton wants any chance of getting back in this series, they’ll need a lot more from McDavid, but the problem might be whether or not he’s physically capable of it at this point.

Team reporter Mark Spector wrote:

“You know what else has to happen? Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard — two pillars of this Oilers team — have to play much, much better. McDavid is hurt, we suspect.

Though he had a goal and an assist Friday — his first points of the series — he lacks the dynamic bursts we have become accustomed to. McDavid has not pivoted on a dime once in this series, a trademark move, and at one point turned down a foot race against a Ducks defender that he’d never shy away from when healthy,”

The 29-year-old McDavid has tallied two points (one goal, one assist) and is a -6 through three games this postseason. He’s now a whopping -13 over his last seven playoff games dating back to the final four games of last year’s Stanley Cup Final.

It’s quite evident to everybody that McDavid is far from 100 percent healthy. That being said, Leon Draisaitl likely isn’t either, yet he’s racked up six points (one goal, five assists) in three games, leading the charge on a line with Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen.

McDavid might have said he’s fine after Game 2, but until he looks more like the Art Ross Trophy and potential Hart Trophy winner, it’s hard to believe him. Either way, his health and performance could be the difference between coming back in this series or falling in a shocking first-round upset to the Ducks.

Next: Oilers Will “Have the Discussion, There’s No Doubt About It”