Oilers’ Holland calls out McDavid and Draisaitl after playoff elimination!

The Edmonton Oilers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the qualifying round, failing to secure a spot in the round of 16 for the third consecutive season. 

General manager Ken Holland has had enough, so much so that on Tuesday, he called out his best players, captain Connor McDavid and star forward Leon Draisaitl, who finished atop the league in regular-season scoring. 

Holland wants more from his two leading men, challenging them to do more defensively.

“The answer would be, yes,” Holland said when asked if the Oilers need the duo’s defensive leadership more than their offensive influence, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector .

“They are getting better,” Holland said. “But in this playoff series (against the Blackhawks), we were playing against battle-tested players (who) had won three Stanley Cups.”

The Hawks managed to upset the Oilers, despite McDavid leading all skaters in the qualifying round with five goals and nine points and Draisaitl contributing a total of six points in the series.

The series between Edmonton and Chicago was a high scoring affair as the Oilers allowed three-plus goals in each contest and 16 during the series. Holland looks to McDavid and Draisaitl to improve defensively, probably because he counts on them for EVERYTHING. 

“We went from 25th to 17th (in goals against), but we need to make more strides,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to defend. You can’t just outscore your opponents. I don’t think that’s totally a reflection on the defensemen. It’s a reflection on the whole team, and their commitment to keeping the puck out of the net.”

Let’s see how McDavid and Draisaitl react to their GM’s comments…