In the immediate aftermath of being knocked out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round, the Edmonton Oilers leaders are doing the right things. 

Connor McDavid and his wife, Lauren, are on holiday with friends, laying down their yoga mats and relaxing in Savasana. By the evening, the couple are sipping wine with the sunset soft and orange, and a board game to busy their minds. 

Check. 

Leon Draisaitl and his wife, Celeste, are designing a new home, although the locale of that build isn’t listed. The limited summertime window is prime time for those home renovations. Designer extraordinaire, Lauren, is even giving them a hand. 

Check. 

These are things fans should be happy about. McDrai are soaking up the sunshine, taking trips to the Home Depot, maybe even getting a head start on the garden (although I’m sure they have ‘people’ for that). Spring and summer stuff. 

Take a mental load off from the hockey for a while, gentlemen. At this point, the only thing to look forward to is next year. 

Connor Mc’Ovid, poet of Metamorphoses, said it best: “For a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Or something like that. 

“I think for us as a group, maybe it is good to actually take two weeks off of training,” said Leon Draisaitl during a moment of reflection at last Saturday’s exit interview. That’s the same one where he said he was “concerned” about the direction of the team. 

“The last two seasons, everybody took seven days off working out, and then you’re back in the gym, right? That’s not a lot of time. So maybe it might be beneficial for everybody to get away from it for a little time and, you know, just get a little extra........

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