(Las Vegas) Connor McDavid has changed his approach this offseason, and the forward hopes it will help the Edmonton Oilers win one more game next June.
After his team was eliminated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by the Florida Panthers, McDavid knew he wouldn’t have much time to make physical gains over the summer.
And with the difficult start to the 2023-24 season still fresh in our minds, that’s just fine.
Known for his intense work ethic and gruelling training sessions, the 27-year-old has eased off the gas pedal slightly this time around in a bid to be in a better position for the season opener.
“Going into last season, I was the leanest I’ve ever been,” McDavid said Wednesday during a joint NHL-NHL Players’ Association media tour in Las Vegas. “I was wondering how all those numbers in the gym were going to translate to the ice, but it didn’t translate to anything.”
The three-time Hart Trophy winner as the league’s most valuable player wasn’t feeling well in camp in September and quickly suffered the injury.
My approach this year is to make sure I’m rested first and foremost. Rest was a big deal and making sure my body is moving well. Compared to this time last year, I feel a lot better. That’s all I was looking for.
Connor McDavid
A five-time scoring champion, McDavid still had 132 points and added 42 in the playoffs – only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have done better in a playoff run – to become only the second player to lose in the final to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
A busy summer, including his wedding to fiancée Lauren Kyle, has left McDavid with less time than his teammates to reflect and process what just happened in the scorching Florida heat. But the disappointment will undoubtedly linger.
Former Oilers general manager Ken Holland, whose contract was not renewed, addressed the team after his release, saying the Detroit Red Wings’ loss to Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 still haunts him.
“It’s coming from a guy who’s won Cups before,” McDavid said. “I’m not sure it’s something you can ever get over. … Time kind of moves on.”
The Oilers added forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner via free agency this summer. They lost defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway to hostile offers from the St. Louis Blues.
Alberta also signed Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $112 million contract extension last week. McDavid, who signed an eight-year, $100 million deal in 2017, will also be eligible to negotiate an extension next July.
“A lot of things go into deciding where you’re going to play and how long you’re going to play there,” he said. “Leon signing his big contract, knowing he’s going to be there, would definitely factor into that decision. I’m going to do what’s best for my family, right? I’m going to do what’s best for my chance to win.”
“And win many more times.”