The Edmonton Oilers have a big target on their back this season. Both the fans and media have their eyeballs on the back-to-back Stanley Cup runner-up. Naturally, that’s not what Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman want to be known for. There is also the question of McDavid’s contract status, which one analyst has a unique take on.
Former NHLer and current Oilers Analyst, Matt Kassian, offered up why he believes the McDavid contract situation is a “political decision.”
Former NHLer Thinks McDavid May Have a Different Intention Behind Contract Status
The Edmonton Sports Talk-produced podcast, 2 Guys & a Goalie, published an episode on September 18th. During that episode, Oilers analyst and former player Matt Kassian gave his unique perspective on McDavid’s contract situation.
“The thought I had this morning is, what if he’s making this… a political decision to have eyes on him, questions towards him,” Kassian asked his co-hosts in the episode. “Not falling on his sword, but carrying a shield, as it were.”
Kassian explained what exactly he means by that.
“If everyone is asking questions about him, if everyone’s asking about that, guess what they aren’t asking about?” Kassian said. “Guess who hasn’t been swamped with stuff heading into the season? Who hasn’t had to deal with the flurry of media?”
“Guess who won’t have to deal with the flurry of media moving forward if he doesn’t sign? Everybody else!”
He framed his thought by offering some perspective on what the topics of conversation would be if he were already signed.
“If we are not talking about Connor McDavid and his contract heading into the season for the Oilers, what is the number one storyline?” Kassian asked his co-hosts. “‘Can they get back?’ is going to be one. What’s McDavid going to get asked about? He’s gonna be asked about goaltending. What do they need to do? What do they have to do? Do they have it this year?”
“I don’t know if it’s right. What if that’s what it is?”
McDavid Doesn’t Want a Distraction…But it is One
If McDavid is fielding questions daily about his future, it takes away the microscope from his teammates. Was this his plan all along? Perhaps not.
At the end of August, Sportsnet reported that McDavid intended not to have his contract status be a distraction this season.
“I’d say all options are on the table, really,” McDavid said about having a deal by opening day, via Sportsnet. “I don’t have a preference either way. I want the group to be as focused and dialled in and ready to roll from Day 1 as possible.”
“You don’t need any distractions. As I said, taking my time with it.”
A short while later, in an exclusive interview with Mark Spector of Sportsnet, he expanded his thoughts on players seeing his contract status as a distraction.
“With me being me — in this position, in this market — people are going to talk about it. That’s understandable, and that’s fair,” McDavid said to Spector. “You know, we’ve been at this a long time. We’re here to play hockey, we’re here to do a job, and if someone saying something, or writing something, prevents you from doing that, then maybe you’re in the wrong business.”
Now that time has passed, McDavid has (potentially) changed his tune on the issue. It makes a certain degree of sense. Only time will tell if this theory is proven correct.