McDavid, Oilers set to face NHL’s ‘best’ in MacKinnon, Avalanche

Connor McDavid said he believes the Edmonton Oilers are one of the top teams in the NHL but knows they haven’t played that way.

On Tuesday, they will face an elite team that has. 

“It’s a great opportunity for our group to play against the League’s best,” McDavid last week. “We feel like we’re one of those teams, we haven’t necessarily showed it all year, but it’s a great chance to play against them and see where we’re at.”

That opponent will be the Colorado Avalanche, who will host the Oilers at Ball Arena on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS). 

The Avalanche (43-10-9), led by McDavid’s Team Canada Olympics teammate Nathan MacKinnon, lead the NHL with 95 points, and have won five in a row and seven of their past eight. The Avalanche, Dallas Stars (88 points) and Minnesota Wild (85) points, all in the Central Division, are considered three of the best teams in the NHL. 

The Oilers (31-25-8) are 3-3-0 since the Olympic break and are fighting to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, entering play Monday in third place in the Pacific Division, just four points clear of the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings, who are currently out of the playoffs.

Edmonton’s margin for error is precariously thin with 18 games remaining in the regular season. Missing the playoffs would be disastrous for a team that has been to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, has two of top players in the NHL in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and believes it’s still in a championship window.  

“I think there’s still lots to be figured out,” McDavid said. “Besides the three teams in the Central, it seems like there’s a lot of teams right there. We obviously have a chance to put together some good hockey and go on a run and put ourselves in a good spot going into the playoffs.”

It has not been a smooth road to this point as the Oilers continue to iron out deficiencies in their defensive game. They have given up an average of 3.36 goals a game this season, which is the sixth highest in the League. 

“It’s something that we’ve taken a lot of pride over the years and for whatever reason, it hasn’t been going great,” McDavid said. “It’s something we need to get back to.” 

In order to combat those issues, Edmonton acquired defenseman Connor Murphy along with checking forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach in two separate trades with the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday.

The three newcomers played well in the Oilers’ 4-2 win at the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday to start their four-game road trip.

“I’m very happy with the moves,” McDavid said. “I think all three of the guys we brought in from Chicago are good adds. Obviously, Murphy with his size (6-foot-4, 212 pounds), he defends hard and the same with Dickinson. And Dach is a young guy (23 years old) that plays with an edge. He’s still trying to find his way into this League and has a lot of potential. I like all three.

“It’s exciting. Every time you’re adding a piece and setting yourselves up to go on a run, it’s exciting.”

It won’t be easy. 

The Oilers were thumped 9-1 at home by the Avalanche on Nov. 8 and lost 8-3 at home to the Stars on Nov. 25. Edmonton will play Dallas in the third game of the road trip Thursday before playing at the St. Louis Blues on Friday. 

But first the game is against MacKinnon, who, along with McDavid, helped Canada reach the gold medal game at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 only to fall to the United States 2-1 in overtime. 

The two were a force for Team Canada in Milan. 

McDavid set a record for an Olympic men’s hockey tournament featuring NHL players with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in six games, while MacKinnon had seven points (three goals, four assists) in six games. 

With the Oilers in the thick of a battle for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, McDavid did not have much time to lament the loss in the gold-medal game. He returned to the Oilers lineup three days after the gold medal loss, playing three games in four nights on a California road trip. 

McDavid has 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) on a six-game point streak since returning from his first Olympics. He leads the NHL scoring race with 108 points (35 goals, 73 assists) in 64 games, ahead of MacKinnon, who has 104 points (43 goals, 61 assists) in 61 games. 

“He’s a great player but I knew that coming in (to Olympics),” McDavid said. “He’s a great player that is highly, highly competitive. I loved being his teammate but it’s not as much fun going up against him.”