And just like that, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will pack their bags and jet off from Anaheim after getting kicked out of Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
The Oilers put on half a fight to bring the series to 3-2 but in the end, the Anaheim Ducks simply had the Oilers’ number in this series, wrapping it up nice and clean with a 5-2 win to send Edmonton packing. With the loss, questions have already been raised over the direction of the franchise, and one insider wasted no time firing a warning shot across the bow.
Insider Warns Oilers Stars on Looming Wholesale Changes
When Connor McDavid signed a cut-price, bargain-basement (for his standards) two-year extension with the Oilers at $12.5 million a year, the consensus was that yes, the best player in the world was ready and willing to dedicate his prime to Edmonton, but the franchise was on the clock.
That clock will start ticking this summer when McDavid’s extension kicks in, and the Oilers can’t rest easy, not according to NHL insider Thomas Drance.
“McDavid should be absolutely furious about the team they’ve put around him,” Drance wrote on X. “Get your popcorn ready, what comes next in Edmonton could be very interesting.”
Make absolutely no mistake: this Ducks series win represents a changing of the guard in the Pacific Division.
McDavid should be absolutely furious about the team they’ve put around him.
Get your popcorn ready, what comes next in Edmonton could be very interesting.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) May 1, 2026
Oilers’ Unrestricted Free Agents for 2026
What comes next is something Oilers fans have dreaded for years. Back in February, before jetting off to the Winter Olympics, McDavid penned a long letter in The Players’ Tribune, pledging his allegiance to the Oilers.
“I’m 11 years into my career. Of course I think about my legacy. I want to be remembered as a winner. But not just anywhere. Here. To be in this city during a Cup run, to feel that buzz… it just wouldn’t be the same somewhere else,” were the Edmonton captain’s words.
But McDavid will no doubt sit down with general manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the brass to get on the same page after an unceremonious exit in Round 1.
Jason Dickinson, Adam Henrique, Jack Roslovic, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Murphy, and Curtis Lazar will all have the option to test free agency this summer. Among this group, Dickinson proved pivotal in Game 1 but played injured for the rest of the series. Henrique didn’t exactly cover himself in glory, while Roslovic started the regular season on fire, ended it with 21 goals, but failed to get on the scoreboard against Anaheim.
DON’T MISS: Oilers Legend Mark Messier Outlines Why Connor McDavid and Co. Are Having a Tough Time Beating Anaheim Ducks
I’m not even sure how they’ve done it because it’s been such a low bar, but somehow the Oilers goaltending has managed to get significantly worse in each of the past three postseasons:
2024 – .902
2025 – .888
2026 – .867— Michael Amato (@amato_mike) May 1, 2026
There’s also the question of goaltending. Connor Ingram proved to be a somewhat reliable first option, while the Tristan Jarry gamble really did not pay off. Going into another year with Ingram as the #1 appears to be the route but come the postseason, Edmonton will need a goaltender who can hold his own on a consistent basis.
Would a move for St. Louis Blues star Jordan Binnington make sense?
When all is said and done, Bowman will likely bring back a number of their UFAs, and it’s possible this team makes a deep run this time next year with a whole summer’s worth of rest. But if Bowman sticks with his current roster, the noise around this team will reach fever pitch, and if/when they fall short, there will be nowhere to hide for the Oilers GM.
