2024–25 Edmonton Oilers player grade: Connor McDavid

McDavid’s strengths

In a word, hockey. McDavid is one of one, sporting uncanny speed with his skating, hands, and processing. Even without numbers on the backs of his sweater, it would be easy to point to McDavid. The neutral zone is an open road for McDavid, able to carve through all but the most elite team efforts with the leniency of the proverbial playoff rulebook.

McDavid is just as elusive and effective in the offensive zone, his supreme skating and passing able to confuse and confound opponents. He seems to be constantly generating high danger chances for himself or teammates. All the while opponents do all in their power to check him, a constant awareness that begins with an individualized plan from coaches.

Somehow McDavid is even better under pressure, confirmed once again with an outstanding playoff performance. The 4 Nations Face-off winner is yet another feather in the cap for McDavid’s reputation. If there are doubters of McDavid, the mental gymnastics involved in conjuring a harsh criticism is an exercise. Quite simply, no NHL player is held to the same standard.

McDavid’s weaknesses or lack thereof

There are not any weaknesses per se, but no one would accuse McDavid of being the best defensive forward or the most physical forward in the league. There has been some fringe Selke Trophy votes cast his way, and perhaps McDavid could make more of a case for himself in the future.

Perhaps it is a decision to prioritize his offensive strengths, a necessity for their game breaking quality. At the very least he has made strides in this area over his career. His face-off win rate was down last season as well.

Performance review

The question must be investigated, why did McDavid have a bit of a down season? There were several injuries throughout the season, and at times it seemed obvious McDavid was not quite at his healthiest. The long playoff runs the Oilers have authored in recent seasons take their toll, though such narratives have been far more discussed for the Florida Panthers. With the additional international tournament, McDavid’s body has undergone a significant amount over the recent years.

There has also been some interesting changes to McDavid’s stats when looking at his past three seasons. In 2022–23 McDavid scored 64 goals, 153 points and won the Hart Trophy. His goal have fallen in each subsequent season, dipping below the 30-goal mark for the first time since his rookie season. His shots are down over that period, most dramatically in shots from the inner slot. A drop in shooting percentage explains some of this, where some positive regression will likely put him over the 30-goal mark once more.

McDavid also threw significantly less hits over the course of the season. While his health and workload might entirely explain this, so too could the Oilers attitude over the regular season. The Oilers are focused on a singular goal, and the regular season might be more about weathering attrition and pacing themselves. Perhaps it is more intentional how McDavid is picking his spots.

Letter grade: A

Realistically this should be an A+, as McDavid’s contributions were beyond all but the league’s elite. Some time missed to injury, and some less than healthy stretches might have made an impact. Still, McDavid is capable of more, and an A matches that.

Expectations for the upcoming season

McDavid will return as the Oilers captain, and enter the season as the favourite for the Hart Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy. Without the risk of voter fatigue, McDavid should be able to capture imaginations by matching his career averages. It might be unrealistic to expect another 60 goal or 150 point season from McDavid, but 30 goals and 110 points seems quite reasonable.

Of course McDavid himself is not focused on individual accolades. Once again international competition will be woven into next season, with the Olympics on hand in early 2026. After a long hiatus of NHL involvement, McDavid will be eager to add a major team accomplishment to his resume. The Stanley Cup will be the primary motivation throughout the rest of the year, where McDavid will have to shine again.

Time will tell how often McDavid plays alongside other Oilers players, though common linemates Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be in the mix. In all likelihood McDavid will have the chance to prop up some intriguing newcomers in Isaac Howard, Matthew Savoie, Andrew Mangiapane, or David Tomasek.