NHL-McDavid faces tough questions about Oilers future after early playoff exit

TORONTO, May 1 : Connor McDavid’s pursuit of his first Stanley Cup has not been easy, and the Edmonton Oilers’ early elimination from the NHL playoffs has raised questions about the captain’s future with the team.

McDavid – widely considered the game's best player – and the Oilers were bounced from the first round of the playoffs on Thursday by the Anaheim Ducks, a loss that adds to the disappointment Edmonton have felt over the past two postseasons when they lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Florida Panthers both times.

The latest setback might force the 29-year-old to think about his future with playoff-fatigued Edmonton as he chases hockey’s most coveted prize.

The Canadian’s two-year contract extension, which was announced last October, kicks in at the start of the 2026-27 season and is set to expire at the end of the 2027-28 season.

Former NHL defenseman and Hockey Hall of Fame member Ray Bourque, who requested a trade late in his career from the only professional hockey home he had known in search of a Stanley Cup, said McDavid's short-term deal was a message.

“That told the Oilers that ‘I’m giving you three years, more or less’ (to) see if he could be surrounded possibly (by) a touch better (players) and to give him a real opportunity to win,” Bourque told Reuters on Thursday during a charity event for Alzheimer's research in Toronto.

Bourque is no stranger to the difficulties of winning a Stanley Cup. As he approached the end of his career, the long-time Boston Bruins captain requested a trade to a contender after losing in two Cup finals, eventually lifting the trophy with Colorado in 2001, when he was 40.

“For the longest time, you have a great career and all that, but it seemed like there was something missing,”