Is Connor McDavid Going To Get Tired Of This Playoff Disappointment?

Is Connor McDavid Going To Get Tired Of This Playoff Disappointment?

Despite a regular season for the ages for Connor McDavid, all is not well in Oil Country. The Oilers dropped both of their opening home games in their 2021 first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets, and now face a 2-0 hole going on the road. For Edmonton, whose high-powered offense was expected to carry them in the postseason and help them past the Jets, there is real concern that they will get kicked out in the opening round, which would add to a recent trend of playoff futility. Even more baffling is that the Oilers have scored only 1 goal in the series thus far, with McDavid registering no points. In the bubble last year, they were seen as a dark horse contender and one of the best remaining teams, with most of the postseason even played in their building, but they could not even make it out of the qualifiers, falling to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. Before then, the last playoff appearance for the Oilers was in 2017, where they bowed out in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks. While there are no rumors at the moment regarding McDavid’s happiness in Edmonton, it must be considered that he will start to get sick of coming up short year after year.

If a McDavid trade were ever on the cards, the Oilers would be no strangers to a blockbuster to break all blockbusters. They traded Wayne Gretzky in his prime to the LA Kings back in 1988, but rather than a departure laden with Stanley Cups, McDavid would presumably leave with nothing but a sour taste in his mouth. With the league’s largest contract locked in until 2026, the Oilers could ask for just about anything they want in exchange for McDavid, while still having a bonafide #1 Center in Leon Draisaitl. Possible destinations for McDavid are a completely different conversation, but if the Oilers keep up with their annual struggles in the postseason, then the league’s best player could potentially want out.

2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Preview: Oilers vs. Jets