Connor McDavid is still searching for the big one.
The Oilers supernova has hoisted a litany of trophies during his glittering NHL career. He’s a three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, a five-time Art Ross recipient, and a Rocket Richard Award claimant. He’s achieved similar spoils at the international level, leading Canada to gold medals in the 2016 World Championships and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, respectively.
Yet, for all of McDavid’s gifts, he still hasn’t been able to land the most prestigious of trophies in the sports world: the Stanley Cup.
In each of the past two seasons, he got close. McDavid fell one win short of the title in 2023-24 then two wins away in 2024-25.
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His most recent attempt at slaying the dragon ended in ash, as Edmonton fell in six games to the Panthers, the same team that dashed its Cup hopes one year earlier.
Florida walked out worthy 5-1 victors on Tuesday night, taking home a second straight NHL crown in the process. McDavid, meanwhile, was left to his thoughts after another disenchanting end to the postseason.
Here’s what you need to know about McDavid’s thoughts on the Stanley Cup Final.
Connor McDavid postgame interview
McDavid was somber while assessing Edmonton’s latest postseason exit, praising the Panthers for their depth, speed, and forecheck — traits that proved difficult for the Oilers to overcome.
“They tilted the rink, they were able to kinda stay on top of us all over the place,” McDavid said. “[We were] never really able to generate any moment up the ice.
“We kept f— trying the same thing over and over again, just banging our heads against the wall.”
Edmonton looked equal to Florida for much of the first period, fashioning up scoring chances while keeping the Panthers attack fairly muted.
But the Oilers were undone by a handful of mistakes. Evan Bouchard gave the puck away on his own blue line a little less than five minutes into the game. Sam Reinhart corralled the unruly puck, jinked past Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm, and ripped a dart past Stuart Skinner to open up the scoring.
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Florida doubled its advantage at the end of the frame after Matthew Tkachuk took aim from just outside the slot. That score, too, came from an Edmonton turnover.
“I thought we played a pretty good period,” McDavid said. “Two mistakes and [we’re] chasing the game.”
The Oilers’ deficit continued to swell as the match wore on. Reinhart potted three more strikes before the contest concluded — two of which came on an empty net — as Florida cruised to a second straight title.
At just 28, McDavid still has plenty of time to get his name on the Cup. He wasn’t quite as prolific in this year’s postseason run, but his pedigree is unmatched — he’s one of just six players to receive the Conn Smythe Award despite losing a Stanley Cup Final.
Still, the question remains whether Edmonton can surround him and fellow standout Leon Draisaitl with a strong enough supporting cast to hoist the Cup. Zach Hyman’s absence was a noteworthy one, but the Oilers’ defense looked weary across the board. Skinner and Calvin Pickard’s performances also left something to be desired.
McDavid and Draisaitl are perhaps the sport’s two greatest players, but if the past two Stanley Cup Finals have taught hockey fans anything, it’s that they’ll need some help if they want to finally land that vaunted Stanley Cup.
Connor McDavid Stanley Cup Final stats
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 6
- Shots: 21
- Plus/minus: -7
McDavid wasn’t able to recreate his heroics from last year’s Stanley Cup Final. He still averaged more than a point per game, but his goal-scoring plateaued markedly — McDavid notched a single goal in 21 shot attempts.
All that amounted to a -7, one of the worst marks on his team.
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