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

[tardigrade81]

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

It’s not his fault but he isn’t helping THATS for sure. Whether people admit it or not, his leadership is missing on this team badly

 

[Bryanbryoil]

It's pretty obvious from those clips that something is off. Beyond his skating, his stickhandling hasn't been as crisp either. Likely has multiple issues and is just trying to soldier through it.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

The effects of Covid, knee injury, and packed schedule drains out the energy. They just finished the homestand playing 3 games in 4 nights. And it's not just physically draining, it's mentally draining too after going through a coaching change.

It's still amazing he's only missed 1 game the entire season.

 

[Rengorlex]

Mysteries of the Edmonton Oilers Solved: What caused McDavid's major 2022 scoring slump? | Edmonton Journal

 

[Juxta Position]

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.

I normally agree with most things you have to say on here, but with this, I completely disagree.

If McDavid had truly checked out, meaning he hit his "f**k it" point, then his demeanor would be consistent through all situations, and it isn't.

When someone has mentally checked out of a given situation apathy tends to set in and their reactions to the negative will mirror their reactions to the positive, in this case wins and losses. McDavid still is celebrating the wins like he always has, and still gets pissy over the losses, that indicates someone who still gives a shit.

Now that doesn't mean he can't be frustrated with how this organization has been run during his time here, which he should be, it's been a mess, but he's too competitive and too driven of a person to become apathetic about wins and losses to the point it would effect his performance on the ice. He didn't become the best in the world on talent alone, his drive, focus, determination, discipline and work ethic are completely off the charts to be where he is at in his career. I find it almost impossible to believe that he would become apathetic towards wins and losses, and would just all of a sudden start mailing it in, that's not in his DNA.

I do believe he has some sort of nagging injury that isn't serious enough for him to miss time, but is just serious enough to slightly affect his performance.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I normally agree with most things you have to say on here, but with this, I completely disagree.

If McDavid had truly checked out, meaning he hit his "f**k it" point, then his demeanor would be consistent through all situations, and it isn't.

When someone has mentally checked out of a given situation apathy tends to set in and their reactions to the negative will mirror their reactions to the positive, in this case wins and losses. McDavid still is celebrating the wins like he always has, and still gets pissy over the losses, that indicates someone who still gives a shit.

Now that doesn't mean he can't be frustrated with how this organization has been run during his time here, which he should be, it's been a mess, but he's too competitive and too driven of a person to become apathetic about wins and losses to the point it would effect his performance on the ice. He didn't become the best in the world on talent alone, his drive, focus, determination, discipline and work ethic are completely off the charts to be where he is at in his career. I find it almost impossible to believe that he would become apathetic towards wins and losses, and would just all of a sudden start mailing it in, that's not in his DNA.

I do believe he has some sort of nagging injury that isn't serious enough for him to miss time, but is just serious enough to slightly affect his performance.

This is where we saw different things. I didn't see McD having past demeanor or still celebrating wins or getting angry. More and more I was seeing apathy, despair, and just staring off into space. I think the hardest thing for him is not having the answers (he would regularly state this) learning to shrug off losses, learning the Oilers well honed art of explaining away losses, a lot of it concerned me. The path it leads to was either going to be steadily declining performance and apathy or demanding a trade out of town. It was incumbent that the org did something to help, and the org has recognized the emergent need to get help in the form of Kane (a decision that would not have been made except out of desperation) and firing the coaching staff which is something that Holland simply doesn't do during seasons.

So that I use those instances in theory that the Oilers org knew this very serious, and they had to act, and in uncharacteristic ways. Its essential the Oilers make the playoffs this season and at least win a round and have a positive experience. If they don't the McDrai contending time frame here is done imo.

I look at both McD and Drai and seldom see joy now. I often detect expressions that expect bad things to occur. Theres moments in telecasts where even with the Oilers leading a game you'd look at the bench and there would be the Oilers and their stars sitting glum and with Tippett standing with a stoic expression. Something was really off with the team. So that I've wondered if Woodcrofts wide smiles and consistent joyful conveyance and positivity isn't something the team needs to lap up right about now. McDrai are very serious individuals. Players like Maroon and Neal would even try to get them to laugh, clown around, share in the joy of good experiences on ice, because you have to.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Mysteries of the Edmonton Oilers Solved: What caused McDavid's major 2022 scoring slump? | Edmonton Journal

Read the whole article and theres no way that McD has been generating the same, or similar chances or taking it to the house in the same way with the same determination. Sure luck and varying results exist. But McD on the ice being indistinguishable in flare from Foegele or McLeod shouldn't exist. There were games where McD ignition wouldn't even occur. Others where he would try to bring it early and then just relent. I did detectt some better defensive play but he's also had Pulju and Yama in the time span and those players are both markedly better all zone players than Hyman who isn't.

The article is attempting to explain away the worst segment of McD's career. To say that its just PDO artifice or something. But watching him play on ice it was clear something was wrong with his conviction, with his being relentless, with the energy and enthusiasm he usually brings to the ice. He may have something nagging with a knee, but I think it just as much losing throwing water on his spirit.

 

[Juxta Position]

This is where we saw different things. I didn't see McD having past demeanor or still celebrating wins or getting angry. More and more I was seeing apathy, despair, and just staring off into space. I think the hardest thing for him is not having the answers (he would regularly state this) learning to shrug off losses, learning the Oilers well honed art of explaining away losses, a lot of it concerned me. The path it leads to was either going to be steadily declining performance and apathy or demanding a trade out of town. It was incumbent that the org did something to help, and the org has recognized the emergent need to get help in the form of Kane (a decision that would not have been made except out of desperation) and firing the coaching staff which is something that Holland simply doesn't do during seasons.

So that I use those instances in theory that the Oilers org knew this very serious, and they had to act, and in uncharacteristic ways. Its essential the Oilers make the playoffs this season and at least win a round and have a positive experience. If they don't the McDrai contending time frame here is done imo.

I look at both McD and Drai and seldom see joy now. I often detect expressions that expect bad things to occur. Theres moments in telecasts where even with the Oilers leading a game you'd look at the bench and there would be the Oilers and their stars sitting glum and with Tippett standing with a stoic expression. Something was really off with the team. So that I've wondered if Woodcrofts wide smiles and consistent joyful conveyance and positivity isn't something the team needs to lap up right about now. McDrai are very serious individuals. Players like Maroon and Neal would even try to get them to laugh, clown around, share in the joy of good experiences on ice, because you have to.

All valid points, but I do see it slightly different than you do. To the bolded section, I do definitely agree that Woodcrofts positivity will do nothing but good things by rubbing off on the players.

 

[Drivesaitl]

So I'm going to bump this because last night was back to normal McD. Making things happen regularly. Creating scoring chances through individual efforts, setting up others. McD was flying yesterday, and not at all looking like he's been injured. As suspected its looking more like his malaise was mental, and if I'm surmising probably around being upset about the coaching. McD had marked performance/production decline the last 2mths of the season under Tippett. Its early under Woodcroft but I think what will occur is a return to fullblown production for McD.

The McD goal last night, it isn't so much to do with how the team is playing, systems, schemes, whater. The McD goal last night was basically how he scores a lot of his goals. By being Jump McD and jumping plays and bringing the puck aggressively to the house constantly. The goal was all McD and he just about scored it 3 times on the same shift. He didn't need a lot of help. He just needed to be McD against a club that was sure giving him room.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I still don't think that he is 100%, but he is showing signs of getting there (thankfully!). We aren't going anywhere as a team if he and Leon aren't at their best.

 

[Little Fury]

I still don't think that he is 100%, but he is showing signs of getting there (thankfully!). We aren't going anywhere as a team if he and Leon aren't at their best.

Need some time and some Febreeze to fully get the Tippett stench out.

 

[Nostradumbass]

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.

Well this aged poorly.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Well this aged poorly.

As is common I overshot the comments by about 3 football fields but I still reckon that McD was more mindset impacted then physically injured. I mean hes' turned it on a dime during the road trip. Miracle cure or he's just on board with the coaching change? I don't think anything beyond the usual is physically wrong with him. In Sharks game particularly he seemed to be flying out there.

 

[Da McBomb]

I think he was injured with Tippettitis... but seems to be all good now

 

[Kerberos]

Still waiting for him and Draisaitl to go on a 2.5 ppg tear. The production is looking better but it's not what we're used to from either of them.

 

[gogoth]

No he just tired and it a minor slump

 

[Captain Controversy]

Mcdavid still gets pain in his hand and wrist area from when he broke his hand.
His knee bothers him sometimes.
He's gonna have residual pain from breaking his clavicle.

As he gets older, these pains will get worse.

 

[Duke74]

I still don't think that he is 100%, but he is showing signs of getting there (thankfully!). We aren't going anywhere as a team if he and Leon aren't at their best.

Now we need to get the bolded up to speed. December has been a very, very long month this year.

 

[snag]

I think he was injured with Tippettitis... but seems to be all good now

It's almost like a "fire" got lit under his ass.