Oilers forward Connor McDavid might not agree with his league-imposed three-game suspension, but he’s ready to put in the past.
Edmonton should follow its captain’s lead.
On Wednesday, the three-time Hart Trophy winner for NHL’s most valuable player broke his silence on his suspension stemming from a cross-check on Canucks forward Conor Garland on Jan. 18 in a 3-2 loss.
“It was a little harsh, but I understand their decision,” McDavid said, adding that Edmonton must “move on” from the fallout of his hit.
His comments come one day after the Oilers very much decided not to move on from his suspension. On Tuesday, the team issued a statement expressing its disappointment with the league’s ruling.
“We share in our fans’ frustration over the three-game suspension of our team captain Connor McDavid,” the team wrote.
“We support him through this process and the organization and our fans look forward to having him back … next week,” the statement continued.
It would behoove the Oilers to heed their captain’s advice. In the first game of his three-game absence, the Oilers (29-15-3) lost to the Capitals (32-10-5), 3-2.
They next play on Thursday in a rematch against the Canucks (20-16-10), the final regular-season game between the two teams. They split the first two.
The Oilers selected McDavid as the No. 1 overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He was named team captain ahead of the 2016-17 season and has held the title for nine consecutive seasons.
This season, McDavid has 65 points and leads Edmonton in assists (45). He’s a five-time Ross Award winner for the NHL’s most points and became just the fifth player in league history to notch 100 assists in a single season in 2023-24, via Stathead.
The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 and took the Panthers the distance after falling into a 3-0 series hole before losing Game 7 in Florida.
As much as McDavid’s suspension stings, it won’t prevent Edmonton, which is one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights (29-14-4) for first in the Pacific, from winning its sixth Stanley Cup and first since 1990. Lingering on it could.