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Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Early Oilers Playoff Exit Could Result in McDavid Departing

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 3:10 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers have a lot on the line this season. They entered the 2024-25 campaign in a world of heartache after falling in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, but were considered the favourites early on to win it all. That has since changed.

Inconsistency and a plethora of injuries have resulted in the Oilers’ playoff stock plummeting. All of a sudden, they look like they could be eliminated in Round 1. They still have plenty of talent capable of helping them get on a heater, but it’s hard to envision them ramping it up when the stakes are highest.

The other concern is that while they have plenty of weapons, it’s unclear if they’ll be fully healthy. Recently, they have been without Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, and Trent Frederic. Meanwhile, Evander Kane has yet to play a game this season.

Most of the players listed above are expected to be ready for Game 1, though Ekholm has been ruled out for the entirety of the first round and perhaps beyond. Frederic remains a question mark for the start of the playoffs, as does Kane. It’s not looking great for the Oilers, and an early exit could drastically change the future of the organization.

McDavid Set to Enter Final Season of Contract

When the Oilers fell short of hoisting the Stanley Cup last season, the focus immediately turned to Draisaitl’s future, who was entering the final year of his contract. That never became an issue as he agreed to an eight-year, $112 million deal in early September.

Soon, the focus will turn to McDavid, who has one season remaining on his deal. Most believed that Draisaitl sticking around long term would be enough to keep McDavid in Edmonton, but an early playoff exit could have him questioning that. At only 28, he is already considered one of the best to ever play the game, with 361 goals and 1,081 points in 711 career games. But, he has yet to hoist the Cup.

That, of course, isn’t on McDavid. He’s been every bit as good, if not better, in the playoffs throughout his career. Not winning the big one is a failure of past management regimes, but should the Oilers be eliminated quickly, it may cause him some serious doubts that this current management group will be able to help him win the championship he’s so desperately chasing. After all, they hurt the organization in a big way last offseason, allowing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to join the St. Louis Blues in an offer-sheet debacle that looks worse by the day.

To his credit, McDavid has never said anything negative about the organization and has given zero indication he plans on leaving. That said, he’s extremely well media-trained, so not voicing his displeasure publicly comes as little surprise. The real sign will be whether he agrees to an extension this offseason. If the Oilers get eliminated early, it could be a real reason for the fan base to panic.

Huge Offseason Improvements Will Be Needed

Should the Oilers get eliminated early, management will need to have a much better offseason to prove to McDavid that it’s worth his while to stick around. This won’t be easy, as there are plenty of areas that need improving. One glaring issue is that this team desperately needs to add some scoring wingers. The Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson experiments haven’t worked, and they need to create a better scoring cast around McDavid and Draisaitl.

The blue line will also need to be improved. The addition of Jake Walman has been huge, but their bottom-pairing defencemen don’t appear to have the makings of a Stanley Cup-winning back end. The biggest issue of all, however, is in between the pipes.

The Oilers elected to go back with the Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard duo, but it simply hasn’t worked out. Skinner hasn’t proven he has the ability to be a number-one goaltender at the NHL level, and it’s cost the Oilers a ton of points this season. If general manager Stan Bowman is able to add a goalie, whether it be via free agency or trade, that could make McDavid feel more confident in sticking around. That said, the other areas mentioned will also need to be improved, as you can bet the superstar forward will have some doubts should the Oilers have an early postseason exit.