"Connor McDavid has proved McOverrated" - Florida columnist doubles down on criticism of Edmonton Oilers stars after Game 3 loss 

By Anjum Rajonno

Modified Jun 14, 2024 08:04 GMT

Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers suffered a 4-3 defeat in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Following the game, hockey columnist Greg Cote criticized the Oilers superstar's performances so far in the series.

Cote isn't one to shy away from controversy, especially when it comes to Connor McDavid. In his most recent article for the Miami Herald, the columnist doubled down on his previous criticism of McDavid, branding him as "overrated" once again.

This isn't the first time Cote has stirred the pot with his opinions on McDavid. Previously, his remarks drew backlash from former NHLer Mike Johnson, after which the columnist reiterated his stance, calling McDavid "overrated" for a second time.

Now, after Edmonton's disappointing performance, Cote said the Oilers captain and his teammate Leon Draisaitl have not lived up to their star status in the finals:

“Connor McDavid has proved McOverrated (like a wise man once said) and Leon Draisaitl has been Dry-saital, neither scoring a goal in this Final,” Greg Cote wrote in his column.

He pointed out that neither player has managed to score a goal during the series. Cote mentioned McDavid's apparent ineffectiveness and criticized the overall performance of the Oilers team.

Cote also highlighted how Florida's strong defensive play and goaltending have overshadowed Edmonton's efforts, leading to their 3-0 deficit in the series.

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Connor McDavid’s father reportedly threw shade at Greg Cote

During a recent appearance on "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz", Cote revealed that he is not a favorite in the McDavid household. He reported on an exchange between Connor McDavid's father Brian McDavid and Five Reasons Sports’ journalist Alex Baumgartner in a local bar.

According to Cote, Baumgartner approached Brian McDavid to have a chat and possibly buy him a drink. During their interaction, McDavid gave Baumgartner a skeptical look and sarcastically asked if he was Greg Cote:

“Let me tell you about my reporting on how McDavid knows who I am and what I said. It's based on the reporting of another journalist, Alex Baumgartner from Five Reasons Sports,” Cote said.

“Alex introduces himself as a local journalist covering the Panthers, and McDavid's dad gives him a side-eye and says, 'You're not that Greg Cote, are you?'”

Earlier, the Florida columnist had criticized the Oilers captain for failing to lead his team to a Stanley Cup final in the nine seasons he had played in the league – which he eventually did in 2024.

However, with the Oilers now just one loss away from being swept in the series, more criticism is likely going to come Connor McDavid’s way, lest his team manages to stage a turnaround in the series.

Game 4 of the final takes place at Rogers Place on Saturday, where the Florida Panthers could seal their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.