Oilers Grinder Calls For a Stronger Defensive Effort From Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl

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Aaron Itovitch
December 25, 2022 (11:03)

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Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are almost unanimously the two best players in the NHL. They are offensive superpowers, and have combines for 122 points before the Christmas break.

However, neither of them are the best defensively. While they have the hockey sense to be effective two-way players, both have very obvious offense-first tendencies.

This has led to a grinder veteran of the team, Derek Ryan, calling them out.

In a post-game interview, Ryan was very honest about his displeasure with the defensive effort of the forwards:

I saw the same thing as you. I don't think scoring goals is the problem here. I've said that a million times. We've got to work on playing defence, and that's not the defencemen, that's the forwards, everybody

While he didn't mention McDavid and Draisaitl directly, it is pretty obvious who he was referring to. McDavid has 66 points on the season, but is somehow only a +4 on the season. The team is getting crushed defensively, and their superstars don't seem to care.

Fans in the comments of this post agree:

Has to start with 97 and 29. If those two aren't consistently winning their 5 on 5 goal differential it doesn't matter how many points they put up.

I don't hear nearly as much talk about those two being dominant players this season.

With the Oilers now out of a playoff spot, there needs to be some urgency to win games. While McDavid is on track to win the Art Ross, the Rocket Richard, the Hart, and the Lady Byng, as well as setting some generational records, none of it will matter if his team can't get to the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers need to solve their defensive woes soon, or their playoff hopes sill be crushed.

Source: Oilers Daily