Connor McDavid trade request rumours return with a vengeance

It did not take long for the Connor McDavid trade rumours to emerge right after the Edmonton Oilers’ playoff elimination at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.

The Oilers were swept in four games, though their playoff run was the longest captain Connor McDavid had ever experienced.

However, the quick elimination prompted fans on social media to get McDavid trending, talking about how the star player should demand a trade out of Edmonton.

This is not the first time fans wonder when McDavid will ask to be traded. Last spring when Edmonton were ousted in the first round in just four games by the Winnipeg Jets, fans had also wondered or even encouraged that he request to be traded by the Oilers.

The chatter had gotten to McDavid’s ears who, during the final press conference of the season, had refuted the idea saying that he was looking forward at what general manager Ken Holland could make happen with the pending free agents.

Changes did happen, especially in the middle of the season when Holland signed Evander Kane, though for now, it remains to be seen if he will stay in Edmonton.

In his post game comments on Monday, McDavid sounded optimistic and didn’t seem fed up with his position with the Oilers.

“It feels like it’s steps, right?” McDavid said minutes after being eliminated in a 6-5 overtime loss in Game 4. “Every team kind of goes through it. They become a playoff team, and then they get there most years, and they go on a little bit of a run. They learn that lesson, and then it becomes their time to win.

“You look at a Colorado team that’s been in that situation many, many times. Obviously they’re knocking on the door right now. It’s a step in the right direction. That’s all it is.”

McDavid put up multiple points in 12 of 16 games this postseason, becoming just the fifth different player in NHL history to record as many in a single playoff year. He totalled 10 goals and 33 points.

We should all remember how long it took a great player like Alex Ovechkin to hoist the Stanley Cup and how the Oilers will need to support their captain with important moves this offseason.