At Zach Hyman‘s charity golf event on Monday, Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid wasn’t interested in talking about hockey.
However, the Oilers captain did quickly give the team’s management kudos for their efforts this off-season.
“I thought the whole management and staff did a great job,” McDavid said Monday. “It’s been a great off-season so far. It’s been short, it’s been hurried, but the whole time they’ve been at it, they’ve done great things.”
Led by CEO of hockey operations and interim GM Jeff Jackson, this off-season the Oilers were able to bring back Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Adam Henrique on team-friendly deals.
Edmonton also added wingers Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner to beef up an already impressive offensive group.
Forward Warren Foegele (Kings) and defenceman Vincent Desharnais (Canucks) were the only players of major significance to leave the Oilers this summer.
“Keeping as many guys together is a good thing in the salary-cap era,” McDavid said. “It’s tough to do that, and (Jackson) has done a great job of finding a way to do that for the most part.”
The Oilers fell just short in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers in June. After they rallied from a 3-0 series deficit, the Oilers lost 2-1 in Game 7 to end the season on a disappointing note.
It was McDavid’s first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, and with the moves the Oilers made this off-season, expectations will once again be sky-high in Edmonton.