Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers crew were booted out of the 2026 NHL Playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks after an uneventful Game 6 loss. The bruised Oilers showed little fight after succumbing to the Ducks, which means this summer will have more questions than answers as they look to retool around two of the best players in the National Hockey League.
Leon Draisaitl Fires Warning Shot Across the Bow For Oilers’ Brass
Heading into the playoffs, the Oilers were the favorites for this Round 1 series, but there was also an acknowledgment that Edmonton wasn’t exactly in the best shape to take on an Anaheim team on the up.
The Ducks gave it their all, carrying forward some momentum from the regular season, whereas the limping Oilers eventually showed that they were wiped out from too much hockey over the last two years.
“He’s signed for two more years and God knows where that goes, but we have two years here right now. We have to get significantly better.”
Leon Draisaitl discusses Connor McDavid’s short-term contract. pic.twitter.com/prRqVZH1Jv
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 2, 2026
In his exit interview, Leon Draisaitl did not hold back, making it a point to send a message across to Edmonton’s brass.
“In what world do you have the best player in the world and you’re not looking to win. I know we’re looking to win, but we need to be better, we have to be better,” Draisaitl said.
“He signed for two more years, and god knows where that goes. As of right now, we have two more years, and we have to get significantly better.”
Connor McDavid signed a two-year, $12.5M AAV contract, below Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million AAV contract, in a bid to give the Oilers some room to maneuver. The heat now is squarely on Oilers GM Stan Bowman, whose summer moves have failed to pay off.
There’s also the problem of sorting out the goaltending situation after a failed gamble on Tristan Jarry. Connor Ingram took over the starting job through the final moments of the regular season and held onto it in the playoffs.
MORE: Full List of Edmonton Oilers’ 2026 UFAs Featuring Kasperi Kapanen, Jason Dickinson, and More
While Jarry saw some minuscule game time, the Oilers are still in need of an elite option to take his place between the crease. Between the goaltending issue and Darnell Nurse’s contract, the Oilers have a number of issues to deal with this summer, in addition to the their UFAs list.
Stan Bowman has his work cut out for him. But if he stumbles this year, McDavid’s contract will serve as a reminder that Edmonton is truly on the clock.
