This is what Connor McDavid and Team Canada need most for a ...

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Published Feb 16, 2025  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  5 minute read

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This column would have been so more fun to write if Canada had won on Saturday.

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But that was not the final game. There are battles remaining to be fought before this particular war is won…or lost.

So, what will it take for Team Canada to avenge that loss to the U.S.A.?

That and more in this edition of…

9 Things

9. Connor McDavid has been electrifying in both games. That goal was spectacular. But we have not seen much chemistry with his linemates. I will not criticize specific skaters. All these players are terrific. But when you desperately needed a guy used to playing with ninety-seven to score a greasy goal for you…would it not have been nice to have Zach Hyman?

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8. Perhaps if the American President persists in being disrespectful of Canadians and taking our precious energy reserves for granted, it is time to consider relocating Edmonton’s AHL franchise. Why spend all those considerable dollars in the U.S. when rabid hockey markets like Kelowna, Saskatoon and Red Deer would be viable options and fill their buildings nightly?

7. The Oilers will be focused on winning versus records. But it would be a notable occasion in franchise history if Leon Draisaitl would score at least six more goals down the stretch. His forty-sixth of the season would pass the great Mark Messier for fourth all-time. I am sorry Leon is not a part of this best-on-best tournament. But I am not sorry he is getting some extra rest.

6. Jeff Skinner has been a question mark for the Oilers. He has struggled to find his game in this environment. But it is not uncommon to go through that when you arrive on a new team. However, he has been much better and more productive lately. I think this is closer to the guy they thought they were getting. As a result, I do not expect Stan Bowman will be asking Skinner to waive his NMC.

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5. It can be dangerous to get too far ahead of oneself. But as I casually glance at the Oilers final twenty-seven games of the NHL regular season, opportunities exist. Edmonton’s schedule is in the league’s top 25 per cent in terms of the easier opponents. That includes San Jose three times and Seattle twice. You still have to win those games. But good-to-great teams should win most or all of them.

4. I would have all the time in the world for Brad Marchand on the Edmonton Oilers. I keep seeing names that would add around the edges. But Marchand would be an A+ playoff add in my books. Yes, he is thirty-six coming 37. Yes, he makes $6.1m (UFA). No, he is not quite the impact guy that he used to be. But talk about a player who could fill multiple roles for you and be a real difference maker when the chips are down. Perhaps dreaming on my part, but…

3. The most critical part of Stuart Skinner and Evan Bouchard’s seasons may well be the days they sit at home watching the Four Nations Faceoff. When we last saw the Edmonton Oilers #1 goaltender he was being pulled after just a period of play and a couple questionable goals against. Bouchard sat for a few 5v5 shifts in the same final game before the break after that awful turnover on the power play. Some did not like the Skinner pull. But Kris Knoblauch has been so good at nailing those sorts of calls. The bigger question is whether both of those two men use the break and the lessons to elevate their consistency?

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2. The name Jean-Gabriel Pageau has come up in recent days. This player excites me more, in terms of a potential add to Edmonton’s roster, than many others that have been raised so far. Not a huge man at 5’11 195, Pageau would add an extremely reliable defensive player up the middle. He is an excellent faceoff man (54% over thirteen years), a right shot. And he remains a more than solid contributor offensively. If he and Henrique are your three and four Centers (moving Nugent-Hopkins back to the wing) that makes you better. And Pageau has a year+ left at $5m. But…is Pageau the type of player that is the Oilers biggest need? I still think a Top-4 D-man is the bigger need. But those do not grow on trees.

1.O.K…lets talk about the Canada-U.S.A. game on Saturday night. Any Canadian fan would have preferred a victory. We will get to that and what it might take to exact some revenge. But that display had almost everything. You could not script a network TV show and get more real, human drama. Montrealer’s knowledge and passion for hockey is second to no one. The atmosphere was equal to that of any other major sport. And many of the best players in the world put on just a spectacular display of skill, grit and guts. These are the kind of games we as Canadian kids grow up dreaming that we will get to play in. If you did not like it because of the fighting, I can’t help you. That is your right as a fan. If it bothers you that much, maybe pick a different sport.

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So…what does Canada need to do to claw their way to the final and a rematch with the Americans? Primarily and firstly, Finland will be a tough damn out. They always are. And if Team Canada looks past them for a hot second, then they will not get to where they want to be. Past that? Respect the Fin. Past that?

Three things…

Cale Makar. The two young Canadians who filled in on the blueline Saturday were more than solid. Especially Thomas Harley who drew in at the last minute after no more than a partial morning skate with his brand, new teammates. But without Maker, Shae Theodore, and Alex Pietrangelo this club was arguably missing its three best defenders. Plus, Makar is key to their transition game.

Goaltending. Jordan Binnington has been “just o.k.” He has allowed a bad goal in each of the first two games. I was not 100% sold on him playing this game but agreed his overtime performance against Sweden warranted it. But now? Paging Adin Hill. It is time. And third?

Grease. The Canadians are the most skilled team in the tournament. But that is never a guarantee to win. What puts that skill over the top? Simply put, the Canadian game. And What is that?

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Create traffic. Shoot the puck. Stop at the net. It does not matter what the goal looks like. It will look great on the scoreboard. Sometimes you need to will a puck in.

Go Canada!

Newly on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. On Twitter @KurtLeavins, Threads @kleavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and even on Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social. This article is not AI generated.

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