Insider’s Take on McDavid’s Comments Brutal News for Oilers

Hockey’s most trusted insider is hinting that he’s not sure he trusts Connor McDavid, and any notion that he signs with the Edmonton Oilers is a formality. Acknowledging in a recent column, “At face value, I take McDavid at his word,” he also said he’s surprised by the lack of direction and timeline given from McDavid during Wednesday’s media scrum.

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McDavid was asked about his contract at the Team Canada Olympic Orientation and responded that he has “every intention to win in Edmonton,” and it was clear that winning is the most important factor in his decision. When asked if he’d be willing to have this drag into the season, he added, “I’d say all options are on the table. I don’t have a preference either way.”

Related: McDavid Intends to Win in Edmonton: “All Options on the Table”

For Friedman, that willingness to play this out means “there’s something imperfect in his [McDavid’s] eyes” when he looks at the Oilers. Friedman adds, “McDavid must be convinced the Oilers will continue to be a serious Stanley Cup contender.”

Is Friedman Overreading McDavid’s Comments?

“As long as he’s unsigned, it’s a massive story”, said the insider. That’s true. What’s also true is that Friedman is making some fairly serious assumptions about what McDavid is thinking in this context. He’s likely not entirely incorrect when he says McDavid cares about winning more than perhaps most other reasons to sign somewhere. However, no team is perfect. To say that McDavid isn’t dragging this out until the Oilers convince him they’ve built a “strong foundation for years to come” might be a leap.

Edmonton isn’t going to convince a player who might have doubts not to have them in one summer. They might not be able to do it this season. It takes time to draft, develop, and put together the kind of foundation Friedman seems to be hinting at. If McDavid doesn’t look at Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and the other core pieces and think this team can win, what else can the Oilers realistically do? Realistically, the Oilers were arguably a healthy Zach Hyman away from winning the Stanley Cup last season.

Any piece the team acquires at the deadline is likely a rental. Would that be enough for McDavid to be convinced? Is Friedman suggesting McDavid wants the Oilers to trade an active roster player for a budding prospect with a tremendously high ceiling? That’s a risk, too, given that the player moved out could help the Oilers win this season.

Friedman already has his answer for McDavid when he writes, “The Oilers don’t see it differently, and everything they’ve done over the past few years is about winning.” They may not be perfect, but they’re an excellent team that needs only a few more tweaks to be a champion. Is McDavid waiting for those tweaks?

The Oilers can only hope Friedman is wrong here and that No. 97 isn’t waiting for perfection. If he is, it’s never coming.

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