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‘It’s time we get going’: McDavid calls for more urgency with Oilers off to sluggish start
Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Tyler Kuehl
Nov 7, 2025, 18:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 7, 2025, 17:45 EST
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The narrative of the Edmonton Oilers‘ struggles in the month of October has bled into November, and it’s clear that another bumpy start is getting on the nerves of the team’s on-ice leader.
When speaking to the media after practice on Friday, Oilers captain Connor McDavid expressed the desire to ramp up the intensity to hopefully turn things around and begin to look like the team that has gone to two straight Stanley Cup Finals.
“Fifteen games in … we’re in the meat of the season now,” McDavid said. “Two games here, then we go on a long road trip, a lot of hockey, a lot on the road. It’s time we get going.”
Thus far, Edmonton has a record of 6-5-4, which is actually better than how the team has performed over the past couple of seasons. In 2023-24, the Oilers were 2-8-1 by Nov. 7, as the team’s lackluster performance eventually led to the dismissal of Jay Woodcroft. This time last year, Edmonton was 6-7-1.
That said, how the team has given up points and blown leads, McDavid admits that the Oilers need to address some issues.
“We’ve done it six times. We have to talk about it, something we have to figure out. That’s an area we have to clean up.”
In each of the past two games, the Oilers have squandered 2-0 leads, falling to the bumbling St. Louis Blues, before letting the Dallas Stars come back and win in a shootout this past Tuesday. McDavid admits the starts have been solid, but the lack of finish is concerning.
“We’re putting ourselves in good spots. We’re not closing them out, something we’re normally quite good at. That hasn’t been the trend this year, something we have to figure out.”
Cleaning up the team’s game was McDavid’s message for most of his availability on Friday, expressing that the Oilers need to start by simply doing the little things right, citing that the squad’s flow has “felt disconnected,” making things difficult for Edmonton to play the way that makes them successful.
“And it’s been that way for a little bit,” he said. “We have areas we have to clean up, we know what we’re doing, we have to get back to it. We have to get on the forecheck, get some pucks back, get through the neutral zone, that’s been a real problem for us, and we have to find a way to do a better job of it.”
The Oilers get ready for “a great challenge,” according to McDavid, as the team prepares to host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

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