Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers Era Ends with Playoff DisappointmentConnor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers Era Ends with Playoff Disappointment The Edmonton Oilers’ playoff journey came to an end with a Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers, marking the end of an era for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Despite their incredible talent, the dynamic duo has failed to lead the Oilers to a Stanley Cup victory, raising concerns about their future with the team. With Draisaitl entering the final year of his contract and set to demand a significant salary increase, the Oilers face a financial dilemma. They cannot afford to pay Draisaitl what he deserves while addressing the team’s other weaknesses, such as inconsistent defense and porous goaltending. Furthermore, Draisaitl’s strained relationship with the Edmonton media and the lack of success has created speculation that he may not want to remain with the team. The Oilers are now faced with the prospect of trading their franchise player and beginning a rebuild, effectively ending the most frustrating era in franchise history. Even though McDavid and Draisaitl have put up impressive statistics, their legacy in Edmonton will be bittersweet, marked by unfulfilled potential and disappointing playoff exits. The Oilers’ future now remains uncertain, with the departure of Draisaitl and the uncertainty surrounding McDavid’s contract leaving the team at a crossroads.
Rest in peace, oil country. It will never happen again.
This is the last time the sun rises over Edmonton on the morning after the city’s beloved NHL team — fueled by the helmeted version of Batman and Robin, aka Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — is eliminated from the playoffs .
The latest disappointment of the spring was made official Monday night, when the Florida Panthers defeated the Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006, which also ended in a seven-game loss to the Carolinas Hurricanes.
It’s the sixth time the Dynamic Duo has failed to make the jump seat of a parade limo, following first-round losses to Chicago and Winnipeg, previous second-round games against Anaheim and Vegas, and a blissful, albeit fruitless, trip to the third round against Colorado that ended in a sweep two springs ago.
However, we can say definitively here that there will be no seventh.
There’s no chance.
But probably not for a reason that will make the ‘City of (long ago) champions’ smile.
Because instead of the suits in the corner offices finally quelling fear and delivering rings by addressing chronic problems with deep scoring, inconsistent defense and porous goaltending, it’s far more likely that it will be “Why can’t we win by 97 and 29?” The question will be put out of its misery by one of the clients themselves.
“Boy Wonder” won’t be there.
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For those unaware, this play-off exit ended the penultimate season of an eight-year contract that the productive German, now 28, signed as a precocious 21-year-old.
And considering the five 100-point seasons and three 50-goal seasons Draisaitl has produced since signing the extension — not to mention the scoring title and MVP he’s won — he’ll be looking for a massive increase in the average salary of $8.5 million he took home. since.
It’s not an unfair expectation.
Considering that of the six NHL players with more than 106 points in 2023-2024, none had a smaller hit. And only one player in the entire league, his Crusaders teammate in the blue and orange cape, has more points since the contract took effect in 2017.
Draisaitl is second, again behind McDavid, in points per playoff game (1.80 to 1.53 through Game 6) over that same stretch, well ahead of Nathan MacKinnon (1.28) in third place and even further ahead Mikko Rantanen (1.25) and Nikita Kucherov (1.23) in fourth and fifth place.
And his career playoff point total (108) is good for third overall since 2016-17, despite having played far fewer postseason games (73) than the only non-teammate ahead of him – Kucherov – who has played 102, while Rantanen and MacKinnon have played 81 apiece.
The difference?
Those other three guys, including four Cups, averaged $12 million in 2023-2024.
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So it’s no exaggeration to label Draisaitl – the Panthers’ sixth-highest-paid player in the series – as the best superstar bargain in the sport.
It is a fact.
It is another fact, or a series of them, that makes it intolerable for him to remain seated.
While the salary cap will increase at the usual rates, there simply aren’t enough dollars to cover what Draisaitl would justify, even as a “hometown discount,” as the Oilers continue to suffer from the $9.25 million dents that Darnell Nurse until 2030 and spending $5 million on AHL starter Jack Campbell through June 2027.
Ten players of varying importance will hit free agency in July alone, meaning any significant raise for Draisaitl would come at the expense of the factors that helped end the last ‘Cup or bust’ streak. Not to mention the amount of money it will take to even entice McDavid to stay once his deal is completed in 2026.
But let’s be honest: there’s a good chance Draisaitl won’t want to stay anyway.
While he and McDavid publicly seem like nothing less than content kittens and haven’t strayed far from the company line of “we want to win here,” the same can’t be said of Draisaitl’s relationship with the rabid Edmonton media. He was branded “pissy” in a dig with Hall of Fame writer Jim Matheson two years ago and often comes across as impatient and uninterested in his role as team spokesman.
While writers in New York, Boston, Philly and elsewhere faced a daily challenge with aggressive questions, the combination of a change of scenery, a huge contract windfall and the chance to make a real run as a C-1 instead of 1 -A yet, a farewell press conference at Rogers Place seems more like a no-brainer than a gamble.
That’s why it will feel more like a rebrand than a reorganization next winter (or sooner) for the Oilers as they come to grips with his impending departure and try to recoup pennies on the dollar in return, effectively ending the most maddening era in franchise history.
Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images
While it remains difficult for those of a certain age to remember legends Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier leaving town due to a one-sided trade, their jerseys were eventually raised to the rafters next to the five championship banners they helped purchase.
In the case of Draisaitl and McDavid, the long-term feelings will be far less satisfying, even if the statistics are equally as heady and the Hall of Fame plaques are guaranteed.
It was hard enough being tricked by the likes of Darcy Kuemper and Adin Hill into enabling competent but less dynamic Nazem Kadri and Mark Stone types. But knowing that there is a good chance that an excellent couple like 97 and 29 will never find their way to Northern Alberta again, this makes Last dance reboot much more anxious.
Evan Rodrigues. Sasha Barkov. Thanks, Oilers fans. Drive home safely.
Meanwhile, the best one-two punch in hockey – certainly lately and perhaps ever – shakes hands, offers clichés and makes plans for a midweek locker cleanout.
No cup.
Just arrested.
