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'We have to be better': Oilers' Leon Draisaitl brutally honest on season

19 0
02.05.2026

EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl is not a subtle man.

On Saturday morning, the superstar who signed a new eight-year deal to be an Edmonton Oiler for life performed a clinical, critical autopsy on an organization that’s prepped and ready for a summer on the operating table.

His honesty was as brutal as his backhand dishes are precise, his opinions as direct as a one-timer from his office on the power play.

Straight and to the point, here are the highlights:

Are you concerned the Oilers are headed in the wrong direction?

“Yes, I am concerned about that … we're not trending in the right direction. We've taken big steps backwards. We’ve got to get a grip of this and head back in the right direction.”

How does Connor McDavid’s two-year contract window shape every move the Oilers make?

“In what world do you have the best player in the world on your team, and you're not looking to win? I mean, I know we're looking to win, but we have to be better. There's no way around it: we have to improve.

“(McDavid) is signed for two more years, and God knows where that goes. But as of right now, we have two years. We have to get significantly better.”

What about that age-old Oilers theme of needing to include the bottom of the roster in the........

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