Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Connor McDavid Sends a Message with Praise for Jon Cooper, Lightning

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 12:06 PM ET

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers dropped another frustrating contest on Saturday night, falling 5–2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Rogers Place to wrap up a four-game homestand.

It was an entertaining back-and-forth game, but the Lightning capitalized on more of their chances, while the Oilers were stymied by Andrei Vasilevskiy for much of the night. With Leon Draisaitl out of the lineup, McDavid tried to carry his team to victory, and while he had his opportunities, Tampa Bay’s structure and team game ultimately proved too much to overcome

After the game, McDavid didn’t sugarcoat things, acknowledging that the Lightning are on a different level than the Oilers right now while also offering praise for head coach Jon Cooper.

McDavid said:

“They’ve got a great system. They’re perfectly coached. They all know what they’re doing all over the ice. It’s impressive. They are a great team. They’re extremely well coached, they’re extremely well organized. They’re very, very rehearsed in everything that they do. It’s very impressive, and when you do break them down, they’ve got a heck of a goalie to backstop them… That’s a coaching question you can ask Knobber that question. Obviously, we’ve been playing together a long time, and we feel like we’re somewhat rehearsed and organized, but not to their level,”

The 29-year-old tallied one goal in the loss, pushing his season totals up to 116 points (38 goals, 78 assists) in 71 games played, though he was surpassed by Nikita Kucherov (118 points) for the league lead in scoring along the way.

With uncertainty around McDavid’s future still swirling, it’s impossible not to hear his comments and connect the dots about potential interest in Tampa Bay down the road. This isn’t the first time McDavid and the Lightning have been linked, either, as Matt Murley from Spittin’ Chiclets sparked the conversation last summer.

As for the Oilers, there seems to be a disconnect brewing between head coach Kris Knoblauch and the players, as McDavid’s postgame comments made clear. At this point in the season, it’s probably past the time for a coaching change, so both sides will need to figure things out quickly, with the playoffs less than a month away.

Whether they manage to do that—or not—could have major implications for the futures of both McDavid and Knoblauch in Edmonton. Thankfully for the Oilers, the Pacific continues to do them favors on a nightly basis, keeping them squarely in the mix to win the division despite their issues.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: