“Unselfish” McDavid Habit Becoming a Talking Point for the Oilers

It’s hard to question Connor McDavid about how he plays hockey. After all, who is going to tell the best player in the world how to play the game and what choices to make offensively? However, after Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the habit No. 97 has to pass the puck when a better option to shoot exists has become a bit of a talking point.

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At least two times against the Wild, McDavid had excellent slot opportunities after dancing down the middle of the ice and doing a ton of work to create a dangerous scoring chance. On both occasions, he chose to make a low percentage backhand pass off to Zach Hyman, who was netside. Both times the decision backfired, either because Hyman was covered or the pass didn’t reach the intended target.

When asked after the game about the quality of the offensive looks the Oilers generated against the Wild, McDavid responded that they may not have been the best Grade-A chances, but we definitely threw pucks there, had some looks, past some away, myself more than anybody…”

He was reminded that he said publicly at the start of the season that he wanted to shoot more, then was asked, “What did you see there that led you to want to pass it rather than fire it?” He said he saw a player down on the backside, “so obviously trying to get in the puck there, but yeah, I can take those.”

How Do the Oilers Make McDavid Shoot More?

In a sticky situation, management has also grown tired of seeing McDavid pass up shots when he has the opportunity. The offense runs through McDavid, yet he ranks 31st in the NHL in shots on goal and has 11 goals (tied for 35th). That’s not enough, especially for a player who once scored 64 and said he likes goals a bit more than assists.

What he decides to do becomes the catalyst for everything else. He’s the most dynamic player in the game, and there’s no doubt he believes he can make the perfect play. Sometimes the simple one is the best play to make.

The Oilers lost that game by a goal. There was a sense of disappointment in the room — perhaps even more so than the blowout losses to Dallas and Colorado — because this was a game the Oilers could have won. Edmonton did almost everything right, but couldn’t put one past Jesper Wallstedt. There were forced passes in overtime, and McDavid’s decision not to shoot at least twice could have been the difference.

McDavid seems to know he made the wrong decision. Unfortunately, he’s been passing up those opportunities all season. Like putting the ball in Michael Jordan’s hand and letting him ‘take the shot’, this is a group that needs McDavid to shoot. He’s the guy who should be scoring in that situation. He’s the captain, the leader, and a $12.5 million star. He needs to know when to take over a game and score the winning goal. Because he’s McDavid, no one will be upset if the shot doesn’t go in.

The message needs to be sent that making a lower percentage play has consequences. The problem is trying to send a message to McDavid, while also respecting who he is as a player and not pushing the wrong buttons.

Next: Play of Oilers’ Top Goalie Targets Going in Opposite Directions