Is Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid going through a slump early in 2023-24 season?

Can Connor McDavid overcome his slump or will the team fall victim to the Sharks' bite in the upcoming 2023-24 match?

Is Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid going through a slump early in 2023-24 season?

Connor McDavid [Image Credit: Imago]

The Edmonton Oilers may just be facing their greatest battle in the 2023-24 season race. Till now, the team has failed to live up to the expectations of the fans, and their next match is scheduled to be against San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

Many are blaming the coach, and GM, but the fans were not shy of commenting towards captain Connor McDavid. Is McDavid going through a slump? This question has now plagued the minds of the fans, and even pundits as they wonder why he’s still in 15 goals and 62 points score range when last season he led the league by 64 goals and 153 points.

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The Guardian explored the reasons for McDavid’s low performance score. While it may be true that the 26-year-old is going through a slump, he may also have not recovered from his injury. He suffered from an upper-body injury and was sidelined “for as much as two weeks.”

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Although he wore his skates 8 days after and participated in the Heritage Classic against the Flames, the question “But is he fully healthy?” remains. As per reports, in six games, McDavid did not score a goal, with only 2 so far in the year, and 8 assists in the game.

Can Edmonton Oilers pick up their pace in upcoming game against San Jose Sharks?

Journalist Mark Spector stated that Connor McDavid falling victim to injury early in the 2023-24 regular season games “cost him two games earlier this season.” According to him, ‘The Chosen One’ himself admitted not being 100% fit, but “healthy enough to be out there, and I’ve got to be better.”

Connor McDavid [Image Credit: Globe and Mail]
Connor McDavid [Image Credit: Globe and Mail]

Fans are earnestly hoping McDavid can find the back of the net during the game against the Sharks, or the team will hit another low blow. With McDavid in a slump, Leon Draisaitl is being taken into the spotlight. As his linemate, fans are expecting him to pick up the team in scoring points.

Unfortunately, till now, the forward only scored 5 times so far. To cut off their 3-game losing streak, head coach Jay Woodcroft made some serious changes during Wednesday’s practice game according to Daily Hive. During the game against the Sharks, the fans may see McDavid and Draisaitl playing in different lines.

Connor McDavid may be paired up with Ryan McLeod while Leon Draisaitl may team up with Zach Hyman. Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins seem to have been demoted to the third line. How these new lineups with younger players will play out is still in question.

Hopefully, the team including captain McDavid will be able to overcome his slump and snatch victory in the upcoming game. But it’s still to be seen how the chemistry between the new linemates will affect the team’s overall performance in the 2023-24 season games.

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