Tortorella calls out McDavid to change his game to win Stanley Cup

While Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has been on fire since the start of the 2021-22 season, there is only John Tortorella to call him out to change the way his play.

There is no doubt that McDavid is one of the best players in the NHL (make that world) at the moment, however, the former NHL head coach, now working as an analyst on ESPN’s “The Point”, explained how the Oilers’ captain needs to change his game if he wants Edmonton to win a Stanley Cup.

Torts explained that despite McDavid’s skill, a commitment to defense is the only thing that will get the league’s most dynamic player a Stanley Cup.

“I do think he has to change his game a bit. Not turn into a checker, obviously,” Tortorella said, per ESPN. “He’s talked about culture, he’s talked about standards, he’s talked about winning. You’re not just going to fill the net during the playoffs and outscore teams. You have to play on the other side of the puck. You have to have that business-type attitude of, ‘Nothing’s going to bother me, no matter how you’re going to check me.’

“Don’t talk about it, just play hard, play through it, but the other side of the puck is that important too come playoff time.”

McDavid and teammate Leon Draisaitl have been filing the net as the league’s top two scorers to galvanize Edmonton to an impressive 10-2-0 start.

However, looking back just as last spring’s playoff in which the Oilers were swept by the underdog Winnipeg Jets in the first round, something needs to change in Edmonton and it starts with the leader.

“I think he’s learning,” Tortorella said. “(Head coach Dave Tippett) is going to have to get that whole group - if they’re talking about a Stanley Cup - they’re all going to have to play a little bit of a different way, not just try to outscore teams.”

Torts added that Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin managed to change his game to lead his team to a Stanley Cup in 2018.

“Ovechkin - I didn’t think they were ever going to win in Washington, but Ovi changed his game a bit and they ended up winning a Cup,” he said.

In 21 postseason games in his career, McDavid has put up 22 points. But in order to record more, Torts is right: something has to change in the superstar’s game.