Is McDavid playing injured? If so, how bad is it?

[Rpenny]

It can not just be me looking at his overall play that suggests he is playing through an injury. Is it serious or just one of those things. His play average play is still better than 99% of the players on the team. But it does expose just how bad this line up is. Is it an injury or is he a long haul covid guy? When do we start to get more concerned?

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[Kerberos]

He's looked injured mentally for 2 months. Probably just the toll of playing for the worst run franchise in professional sports.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

If he's injured even a little bit then pull him. Continuing to play him while he's hurt is disgusting.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

I wonder if part of it is because of the Olympics news. He’s seemed off ever since.

 

[Marty McSurly]

The US broadcast mentioned a knee issue during the all-star game so maybe it's that? (I didn't see/hear it but read it mentioned on twitter)

 

[Drivesaitl]

It can not just be me looking at his overall play that suggests he is playing through an injury. Is it serious or just one of those things. His play average play is still better than 99% of the players on the team. But it does expose just how bad this line up is. Is it an injury or is he a long haul covid guy? When do we start to get more concerned?

How is McD playing better than 99% of the team when Drai and Nurse are playing way better than him, and being of much more value? 2 players represent 10% of the starting lineup. In terms of toi Drai and Nurse represent much more of the team.

McD is the highest paid player in the league and two of his team mates are better players. On the basis of this season, all positions considered, there would be 20-25 players performing better than him. That are impacting their team more.

McD has pulled the chute. The give a f*** is gone. The same player can hit the jets when he feels like it and would be if he got his Olympic cookie. Time to start waking up to McD feeling getting 100pts was more important than playoff performance or results last season.

its not all his own fault. The Oilers org have taught him that believing in being on a contending team here would be deluded. He's checked out. The time to worry about this eventuality occurring was years ago. Around the time the club hired Chiarelli to run this org to the ground. People like myself were saying so at the time.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

How is McD playing better than 99% of the team when Drai and Nurse are playing way better than him, and being of much more value? 2 players represent 10% of the starting lineup. In terms of toi Drai and Nurse represent much more of the team.

McD is the highest paid player in the league and two of his team mates are better players. On the basis of this season, all positions considered, there would be 20-25 players performing better than him. That are impacting their team more.

McD has pulled the chute. The give a f*** is gone. The same player can hit the jets when he feels like it and would be if he got his Olympic cookie. Time to start waking up to McD feeling getting 100pts was more important than playoff performance or results last season.

its not all his own fault. The Oilers org have taught him that believing in being on a contending team here would be deluded. He's checked out. The time to worry about this eventuality occurring was years ago. Around the time the club hired Chiarelli to run this org to the ground. People like myself were saying so at the time.

And so it begins.... McDavid's days in Edmonton are officially numbered.

 

[Drivesaitl]

if the alleged knee injury was at all significant, or impacting, in the slightest, McD would have, and should have had the rationale, and backup to decline participation in ASG. he didn't do that, didn't need to do that, and he played, and wanted to play. OV somewhere laughing about how silly that is.

Maybe McD has some soreness in knee. Maybe tender, maybe a bit aggravated. Clearly it wasn't enough of an injury to keep him out of a completely meaningless event. If his injury was anything then he would have rested it for a week and rehabbed.

 

[MessierII]

He definitely has something going on. Noticed a few times where he had a lane to the outside and chipped it in rather than burn by the guy. Something is clearly wrong and it’s completely ridiculous that he was at the all star game.

 

[Little Fury]

And so it begins.... McDavid's days in Edmonton are officially numbered.

Someone who is good at Photoshop put McDavid in for Craig here:

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Someone who is good at Photoshop put McDavid in for Craig here:

I can't even fathom blaming anyone but the Oilers brass that has failed since McDavid was in elementary school.

 

[Little Fury]

I can't even fathom blaming anyone but the Oilers brass that has failed since McDavid was in elementary school.

Blaming the best players has never worked before, but maybe this time it will.

 

[fuswald]

He's looked injured mentally for 2 months. Probably just the toll of playing for the worst run franchise in professional sports.

2 months ago oilers were going gangbusters.
His game results have dropped off significantly.
At the beginning of the drought the bottom 6 were producing still. It was the top 6 (speaking of forwards only) that struggled. Now all the forwards are struggling to finish, especially the top 2.

This does indeed point to McDavid. I'm not sure it's mental as even the games we won he looked very ordinary or even worse.

I never played hockey so I don't know about how bad loosing affects players but quite a few of the players can't shoot straight. Ridiculous misses on excellent feeds.

I think he is physically off and it very much affects Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Draisaitl.
The whole lineup seems they have lost their aim.

I think they should sit McDavid if he is hurt in any way so the others can get their sheet together.

If it is mental and McDavid has checked out even a bit we're hooped.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Blaming the best players has never worked before, but maybe this time it will.

If you have the best player in the league (and another who's in the top 5) and STILL can't get out of your own way, then maybe there's larger issues at hand.

Paul Maurice resigned because he wanted to do what was right for the Jets. Think any of the Oilers off-ice personnel has that kind of humility?

 

[fuswald]

Change the coaches. It's the only way to stir it up.
Use the first to get a goalie.

If McDavid is off the rest of the team should be picking up the slack and I see some coasting.

 

[tardigrade81]

He's looked injured mentally for 2 months. Probably just the toll of playing for the worst run franchise in professional sports.

This and nothing else

I don’t think he’s injured. I think he’s mentally checked out. When we are winning he will smile a bit, but overall how can he be happy with this dump of a franchise??! The management is crap, the coach is crap, the goaltending is crap, the bottom 6 is crap, the defense is crap. He knows they aren’t going to win…. It’s sad it really is.

It’s sad that the goaltending wasn’t addressed. This team has a lot of holes to fill but getting a decent goalie can provide so much for a team. What a shame.

 

[Little Fury]

If you have the best player in the league (and another who's in the top 5) and STILL can't get out of your own way, then maybe there's larger issues at hand.

Paul Maurice resigned because he wanted to do what was right for the Jets. Think any of the Oilers off-ice personnel has that kind of humility?

I think you hit it on the head, this front office is full of guys who were born on third base and going through life thinking they hit a triple, professionally speaking. After all have you seen the guide and record book?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I think you hit it on the head, this front office is full of guys who were born on third base and going through life thinking they hit a triple, professionally speaking. After all have you seen the guide and record book?

They've bred a country club culture where any nay-sayers are immediately dismissed and they're always the smartest guys in the room. Year after year of bad managerial decisions and no one ever calls them out whether it be in the media or in the room. Holland was only brought in because he was good friends with the brass and he was an easy hire. Same with Chiarelli. Meanwhile we passed over Bill Zito twice and he currently has the Panthers looking like a contender for the Cup.

The Oilers off-ice personnel doesn't have a clue, never had a clue, and will never have a clue. This team will never, EVER contend until the necessary sweeping changes are made at all levels.

 

[Aerchon]

It can not just be me looking at his overall play that suggests he is playing through an injury. Is it serious or just one of those things. His play average play is still better than 99% of the players on the team. But it does expose just how bad this line up is. Is it an injury or is he a long haul covid guy? When do we start to get more concerned?

The number 1 thing that should be noted is the absolutely rediculous amount of ice time he gets.

When you look at how much more ice time he gets his numbers are not quite as amazing as they first appear. Still amazing but a bit of shine comes off.

Ditto his 5v5 numbers goals for versus against.

Take his absurd cap hit into account and McDavid will always be playing from behind to meet cap to expectations ratios.

So.

McDavid needs to play less. Avoid exhaustion and bring his numbers down from being artificially inflated.

McDavid needs to play better. Less points but a whole lot less goals against when he is on the ice.

McDavids current "subpar" play is likely due to a multitude of things mental and physical: injured, no Olympics etc...

But the biggest root problem on this team with McDavid is that everyone is relying too much on him. For good reason but it has to stop.

This team has the talent to roll 4 lines. A bigger commitment to defense from McDavid down improves this.

 

[Rpenny]

I hope none of you think I am pointing the blame at McDavid--I think he is playing injured and I am worried that he maybe hurting himself more

 

[Kerberos]

I think you hit it on the head, this front office is full of guys who were born on third base and going through life thinking they hit a triple, professionally speaking. After all have you seen the guide and record book?

The entitlement, privilege and inability to admit shortcomings has defined this organization for decades.

Far too many people involved that feel they're owed their positions instead of actually earning them and should be able to achieve success without working towards it.

 

[Stoneman89]

I wonder if part of it is because of the Olympics news. He’s seemed off ever since.

He was off way before that. Something is not right with him, either physically, or upstairs.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Gordy Elbows]

McDavid was suffering from a broken heart....think he'll be okay now. Tune into the NYI game to witness the miracle.

 

[GOilers88]

The number 1 thing that should be noted is the absolutely rediculous amount of ice time he gets.

When you look at how much more ice time he gets his numbers are not quite as amazing as they first appear. Still amazing but a bit of shine comes off.

Ditto his 5v5 numbers goals for versus against.

Take his absurd cap hit into account and McDavid will always be playing from behind to meet cap to expectations ratios.

So.

McDavid needs to play less. Avoid exhaustion and bring his numbers down from being artificially inflated.

McDavid needs to play better. Less points but a whole lot less goals against when he is on the ice.

McDavids current "subpar" play is likely due to a multitude of things mental and physical: injured, no Olympics etc...

But the biggest root problem on this team with McDavid is that everyone is relying too much on him. For good reason but it has to stop.

This team has the talent to roll 4 lines. A bigger commitment to defense from McDavid down improves this.

Agree with basically all of this. The over reliance on not just McDavid but Draisaitl is concerning. I'm not sure if it's all because of coaching, or because they request to get that much icetime, or a combination of the two, but it definitely needs to stop.

If the rest of the team really are shitty hockey players and not NHL calibre, then it will become clear as day if they're playing more and losing. As it stands, overloading the big two isn't doing anything to help win games either so what does it matter? Everytime I watch them play I don't see a team. I see McDrai and everyone else. Nothing about the Oilers says team at all and it's really sad. At least not consistently.