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Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Connor McDavid

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) fights for the puck against Anaheim Ducks center Tim Washe (42) during the first period of game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

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Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Connor McDavid

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Matt Parks | Last updated Sep 16, 2026 10:24 AM ET

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The NHL season is officially here, so let’s wrap up our Edmonton Oilers player preview series. Yesterday we looked at Jake Walman, and now we focus on our final player.

Connor McDavid had another outstanding season. He led the league in scoring with 48 goals and 138 points in 82 games. That was the second-highest point total of his career. He has six consecutive 100-point seasons and nine of his last 10. He has been dominant since joining the league, so don’t expect that to change. He’s the easiest player to predict because you know what you are getting. Here’s his 2026-27 player preview.

McDavid Shouldn’t Kill Penalties

The Oilers’ captain spent 86.39 shorthanded last season, compared to just 4:40 the season prior. He was fourth among forwards in penalty-kill ice time. However, he shouldn’t be in the constant rotation and should be used in the final few seconds to gain momentum back after a successful kill.

The Oilers have other options. Matt Savoie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jason Dickinson will be instrumental on the penalty kill. They could also experiment with Josh Samanski, Kasperi Kapanen, and Trent Frederic in that spot. Head coach Mike Babcock must establish roles with the depth players, and including them on the penalty kill should be extremely useful.

Therefore, the Oilers don’t need McDavid killing penalties. He already plays a ton at 5-on-5 and nearly every second on the power play. So, it will be smart to ease his minutes when they can. The NHL has expanded to 84 games, and the Oilers need their best player on the ice in scoring opportunities. That extra wear and tear will add up down the stretch, and they can’t risk injury, especially as we get later into the season. Load management should be considered.

Best Case Scenario

The best-case scenario is obviously continuing his dominance and leading the Oilers to the Stanley Cup. His career high is 64 goals, but his 48 from last season was his second-most. His career high in points is 153. Therefore, if he can score another 50 goals and record 150 points, that would be another legendary campaign to add to his Hall of Fame career.

The 29-year-old should rack up more individual accolades. He’s the frontrunner to win his seventh Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point producer. He’s also looking to win his sixth Ted Lindsay Award and fourth Hart Memorial Trophy.

After back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, the Oilers were eliminated in Round 1 by the Anaheim Ducks this season. While that result was disappointing, there’s a silver lining. No. 97 has played a ton of hockey, so an extended offseason is beneficial. Hopefully he comes to training camp energized and rejuvenated, ready to take his team to the promised land. He should be extra motivated, and a motivated McDavid is bad news for the rest of the league.

Worst Case Scenario

McDavid’s worst-case scenario is many players’ best. He’s the best player in the world, and we have become numb to his greatness. He always surpasses his expectations. But when he doesn’t, it’s usually because he missed time with an injury. 100 points would be an outstanding season for anyone else, but that would be disappointing if McDavid got fewer than that.

McDavid must be more selfish. Often, he looks for his teammates when he’s better off shooting himself. He passes up opportunities to rip the puck. He had 306 shots last season, his third-highest of his career. His two-highest shot totals also coincided with his two best goal-scoring seasons, and that’s not a coincidence.

The season prior, he had just 26 goals and only 196 shots, which is underwhelming for him. Good things happen when you shoot the puck. Therefore, under 280 shots and 40 goals would be disappointing because we all know what he’s capable of.

Then, there’s the Babcock effect. How will the superstar forward respond to a new coach? Babcock is a detail-oriented coach who should improve the defensive system. Hopefully, this new system doesn’t stifle McDavid’s offence and creativity. You can play good defence without hindering your offensive abilities. The Oilers need to find that balance. The last thing a coach should do is change how McDavid plays. You need to let him go out there and do his thing.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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