“Done a great job for the most part”: Connor McDavid reviews Oilers’ offseason moves with Jeff Jackson as interim GM

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Jul 16, 2024 03:40 GMT

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid commended interim GM Jeff Jackson for the job Jackson’s done during his short tenure at the Oilers’ helm. Per insider Mark Masters, McDavid had this to say about Jackson’s work:

“I thought the whole management staff did a great job. They’ve had a great offseason so far. It’s been short, it’s been hurried, but in the small time they’ve had, they’ve done great things. Keeping as many guys together (as they did) is a good thing.”

Indeed, the Oilers have managed to keep the team’s core together in hopes of repeating last season’s trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

While there have been some departures, such as Warren Foegele, Sam Carrick, Ryan McLeod and Vincent Desharnais, the addition of Jeff Skinner along with the re-signing of Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark and Corey Perry bode well for the team.

McDavid continued his praise of Jackson, stating:

“In the salary cap era, it’s tough to do that and he’s done a great job of finding a way to do that for the most part, obviously losing a couple of guys which is always unfortunate but (that’s) unfortunately part of the hockey world we live in.”

McDavid understands the business side of the NHL whereby some players leave while others arrive. However, as a whole, the Oilers captain feels that the current management has done their best to assemble a contender.

With stars like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the fold, the Oilers have the firepower to remain serious contenders in the Western Conference.

Connor McDavid is not about big stories

McDavid participated in teammate Zach Hyman’s Celebrity Classic charity golf event on Monday. When the media asked him about the disappointing end to their 2024 playoffs, he replied:

“I’m not here to do a big story for you guys.”

As reported by The Hockey News, McDavid turned the conversation toward the cause and how meaningful it was to support a teammate’s endeavors.

“I’m here to support Zach and his causes. He’s a great teammate and a great friend. It’s important to be here and support his initiatives," McDavid added.