Connor McDavid didn’t hide his frustration after the Edmonton Oilers’ 1–0 loss to the Minnesota Wild — a game Edmonton largely dominated, but the desired outcome eluded them. The Oilers needed just one goal to tie the game and force overtime. They couldn’t get it, and while the shutout win by Jesper Wallstedt was a storyline, what stood out were the quality chances the team, and specifically McDavid, passed up.
The Oilers’ captain talked about it in a post-game media scrum, one where it was clear he was almost as disappointed with the outcome as some of the blowout losses the team suffered earlier in the season. This was a game for the taking, and one different decision might have led to a different outcome.
It’s fair to argue McDavid’s decision-making has become a bit concerning — if only because it contrasts what he said he wanted to do at the outset of the 2025-26 season. That sounds odd to question the best player in the world, and one who arguably sees the game better than any other player in the NHL. That said, there are times he’s too unselfish, and it’s become a bit of a theme on the heels of him saying he wanted to score more goals.
Twice, he carved through Minnesota’s defense and ended up in a prime shooting position. Twice, he deferred to Zach Hyman. He could see the shot was there, but instead of firing from the slot, he gave up an opportunity to score himself. Both sequences fizzled out, and McDavid admitted afterward that the Oilers “had some looks, passed some away, myself more than anybody…”
In overtime, McDavid also forced a pass that wasn’t necessarily there, while the coach outlined a couple other instances he noticed after practice on Wednesday afternoon.
For a player who once scored 64 in a season — and who said publicly he wanted to score more goals — the pattern is becoming impossible to ignore. Even his mention of the fact that he gave up solid looks speaks to an issue that he is keenly aware of.
That doesn’t mean the Oilers are panicking or under the impression something is off.
“Shooting is down a little bit, maybe not from this year, but from the year he scored 60-plus goals. We were just looking at it, it was about 4.2 a game, now he’s about 2.5,” said Kris Knoblauch. “When it doesn’t get on net, you think, ‘Oh, he should have shot’, but when that pass is executed, that’s an incredible play.”
Knoblauch went into detail about two plays — one involving Matt Savoie, and another where the Wild’s defenseman was “swimming” and got lucky with his stick. Knoblauch suggested that in both situations, McDavid was going for the higher percentage play. “Connor’s pretty good at deciding when to shoot and when not to.”
I was trying to ask how Knoblauch goes about having the conversation with McDavid, or if he doesn’t, because it’s McDavid. It sounds like the coach trusts his superstar’s reads.
He’s a Unicorn, and The Oilers Trust McDavid To Make The Right Play
Everyone, from the players to the coaching staff to management, knows McDavid is the engine of the Oilers. The best play is to have the puck on his stick with a chance to score, or more specifically, to win a game. That’s why he’s as good as he is.
“He definitely puts a lot on himself,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “I mean that’s the nature of obviously being the best in the world, he expects a lot of himself.” Nugent-Hopkins praised McDavid for leading the way versus Seattle and Minnesota. ” He plays hard, and his work ethic is what we can follow.” Nuge and the rest of the team know they can’t replicate what McDavid does on skates, but they still follow his lead. While Nugent-Hopkins suggests there’s still room for improvement, this is a player the Oilers trust unequivocally.
That’s a good thing, but this is a potentially tricky situation for the Oilers to navigate. The coach can tell McDavid to shoot, but how do you take the instinct out of his game when he sees the play unfold and his first thought is to pass? The reality is, you can’t, and it doesn’t sound like Knoblauch is eager to try and micromanage that aspect of McDavid’s game.
For No. 97, it will be about identifying on his own when the right time comes to pass or when he needs to ramp up his shooting. Everyone else just needs to be ready.
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