NHL analyst opines why Connor McDavid's heavy workload could eventually slow down his production

By Evan Bell

Modified Sep 14, 2024 16:27 GMT

In his NHL career, Connor McDavid has shown himself to be one of the most talented players ever seen on the rink. Despite that, NHL Network analyst Stu Grimson believes that the team may be overplaying McDavid, which is making him less effective in crunch time.

During his nine years in the league, McDavid has led the NHL in points five times, even eclipsing the ultra-rare 150-point mark during the 2022-23 season.

Last year, after leading the NHL in assists during the regular season, with 100, McDavid set an NHL record for most assists in a postseason with 34. Thus, he earned himself the Conn Smythe honor despite the Oilers coming up short in the Stanley Cup Finals.

McDavid's team is looking to make another run at the Stanley Cup with the dynamic duo of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Grimson explained on Friday that the Oilers could, and should, look to make sure Connor McDavid isn't playing in excess of 20 minutes per game. This will keep him fresh for crunch times.

"There were times this year, regular season, and certainly in the post, he's taking down 22-23 minutes and beyond per night. For a forward that plays with that kind of intensity, it's hard to be - especially in the third period - it's hard to be effective and impactful when the game is on the line."

"There are so many factors" - Connor McDavid opens up on contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers

This summer, the Edmonton Oilers signed star forward Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year contract extension worth a total of $112 million. Prior to the extension, the belief among fans and analysts around the hockey community had been that the pair were a package deal.

If Draisaitl signed an extension, the belief was that Connor McDavid would then inevitably sign an extension next summer, before entering into the final year of his contract during the 2025-26 season.

Nothing has been finalized yet, and the expectation is that Connor McDavid will stay with the franchise on a long-term deal like Draisaitl.

McDavid recently spoke with media members on Tuesday to discuss a potential extension. NHL.com then relayed his comments, where he was quoted as saying:

“Everything’s a factor. Obviously, my loyalty to Edmonton, the fans, the organization, the loyalty to the players, all while understanding my will to win, my desire to win. All while balancing my family, my need to see them and spend time with them and make sure the people I care about are good.

“I think there are so many factors that go into a decision like that.”

For his part, Draisaitl has made it clear that he wants nothing more than the opportunity to play alongside McDavid for years to come.

While McDavid is just 27 years old, Draisaitl explained that if it were up to him, McDavid would remain alongside him in Edmonton for the rest of their careers.

With that in mind, however, we'll have to wait until next summer and see how the 2024-25 season plays out before extension talks really pick up steam.