Major change for Connor McDavid ahead of 2024-25 season!
He addressed it ahead of the upcoming campaign:
Heading into training camp, the Edmonton Oilers remain focused on getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals after a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the ultimate series against the Florida Panthers.
However, captain Connor McDavid has made it known that he is making a significant change ahead of the upcoming season.
When asked by Mark Spector of Sportsnet about his offseason and how he’s gotten ready for the 2024-25 regular season calendar, McDavid admitted that he changed things up.
“I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” he said. “In years past, it’s just been very volume heavy, Very go, go, go. Throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. That strategy, as well as it’s worked for me, I think about the beginning of last year.
“I was just very tired and fatigued from a long summer of training, and was not feeling very good on the ice. And it translated.”
McDavid does not want to repeat the Oilers’ poor start from last October, which included a 2-9-1 record, a head coach that got fired and a club that was 14 points out of third place in the Pacific before Remembrance Day. The captain has learned the lesson and that’s why he has changed things up.
“You don’t necessarily need to peak Sept. 18, but you need to peak for Oct. 9 when the first game is,” he said. “This summer I took some time off the ice, rested a little bit. I was working hard off the ice, but I didn’t go on the ice until August. Five great weeks on the ice, and I’m feeling good and ready to roll again.”
We will get to see how this new change and strategy pays off for McDavid, who repeated how this season again it is Cup or Bust.
“You don’t need to talk about it anymore than the media and everyone else is going to talk about it. Everyone knows what we’re after and what we’re what our purpose is.”