- McDavid says the Oilers assumed they would find their way back to the Final
- Captain calls Edmonton the most prepared team in the NHL under Mike Babcock
- Read below for what McDavid said on 32 Thoughts about his own future
Connor McDavid thinks the Oilers got comfortable.
Edmonton’s captain sat down with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on the 32 Thoughts podcast during the NHL’s player media tour, and he was asked what actually went wrong in a year that ended with a six-game first-round loss to Anaheim.
“We come a shot away from the ultimate goal; come a couple of games away the following year. You almost take it for granted that you’re this team that’s just going to figure it out and be there. But that’s not how it works at all.”
He pushed the point further, saying the buildup matters more than the talent on the roster.
“There are steps throughout the season that you have to take. It’s a process to build up toward being ready to play when it matters most.”
That is the whole reason Mike Babcock has the job. Babcock replaced Kris Knoblauch in June and brought D.J. Smith along as associate coach, and he sat down with McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman before the hire was official.
Hyman, who played five seasons under Babcock in Toronto, warned everyone in June what was coming. He told NHL.com that a Babcock team will “always be the most prepared team.”
McDavid reached for almost the exact same line this week.
“We’re going to be the most prepared team in the NHL. I know that because I’ve seen them work already in their preparation for the year.”
He did add a caveat about the room policing itself, saying the group would step in if it had to, but that they would do the same under any coach. Babcock, in McDavid’s words, is there to be Babs.
His contract is the other thing hanging over the season. McDavid is starting the first year of a two-year, $25 million deal, he can sign an extension next summer, and he is not scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency until July 1, 2028.
Friedman and Bukauskas asked him about that pressure, and McDavid went somewhere lighter than most people expected.
“I am a happy guy. I live a great life. I have a great wife and a great family, and my life is absolutely great.”
Take a look at the full episode, with the McDavid interview starting around the 1:06:00 mark:
Edmonton lost in the Cup Final in 2024 and again in 2025 before the Ducks bounced them in the opening round last spring. We broke down what that leaves behind in our 2026-27 Oilers outlook.
McDavid has been a shot away twice. He sounds done assuming a third chance shows up on its own.
