TALKING POINTS: Oilers players & head coach speak during end-of-season interviews

Edmonton Oilers' players Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and others, along with Head Coach Kris Knoblauch, spoke with the media for one final time this campaign during end-of-season interviews at Rogers Place on Wednesday afternoon.

Topics of discussion surrounded the season that was for the Blue & Orange, their deep run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, pending free-agency discussions for multiple players and more.

Read the select answers from the players and head coach & watch their full media availabilities below:

Connor McDavid & Leon Draisaitl:

Connor & Leon reflect on ‘a special run’ to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final:

Draisaitl: “Of course it was a special run. I think any time you can get pretty much a full country behind you, it's special. It’s obviously a lot of fun being in those games, and the stakes don't get much higher or bigger than what we were playing. Again, it's disappointing. It's frustrating that there's only one team that can win, but again, I'm very proud of what we've been through this year and how we had a whole country rooting for us.”

McDavid: “Yeah, it'll take some time to obviously get over first and foremost, but at the end of the day, you are going to have to get over it at some point and we're going to carry on and we'll get ourselves ready for another important season and get ourselves ready to do it all over again. That's all you can do.

"Will there be a time to look back? Yeah, there were lots of happy moments throughout those playoffs, for sure. A lot of great moments that I'll remember for the rest of my life. We sat in here after the Western Conference Final and the streets were crowded with people going crazy and celebrating, and to know that our team and our group were the ones and the reasons they were happy and celebrating, that's a great thing. To bring joy to a fan base and to bring joy to people in today's day and age is an amazing thing, and I think our group just feels very grateful that we have the opportunity to do that for Edmonton and all those Oilers fans."

Connor & Leon on the takeaways from coming one game short of winning the Stanley Cup:

McDavid: “That's a good question. There are lots. I think just the belief that we can do it. You know what I mean? We can get there. I know we didn't do it, but the belief. I feel funny sitting up here. We've sat up here before and told you how badly we want to win, and looking back, you're miles away from it and now we're one shot away from it. The belief has never been higher not only within us too, but within that room and within everybody. I would say that is the main thing."

Draisaitl: “I would agree. I think number one is just a belief that we've created this year or over the last couple of years. I guess to me also, there's no stage that's too big for us now. We've played in the biggest game of hockey that you can play in. There is no bigger game than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and we were one shot away from giving ourselves a chance. So just knowing that going forward I think is going to be really big for us.”

Draisaitl on his pending contract negotiations with one year remaining on his eight-year deal:

“Yeah, I'm going to give you the most boring answer here. I'm obviously going to sit down with my agents here, talk to the Oilers and see what their plan is, see what our plan is, and just go from there.”

“I haven't had any time to really think about it. It wasn't on my mind a lot lately, so it's just something that’s going to take a little bit of time to figure out what I want, what the Oilers want, what everyone wants, and then go from there and figure something out.”

Zach Hyman & Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Ryan & Zach reflect on the 2023-24 season and the run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final:

Nugent-Hopkins: "Yeah. I think at this point obviously, it's fresh and stings and it's tough to look past that a little bit. But I think we're going to look back and be extremely proud of where we got to as a group. The city was incredible; the most fun I've ever had by far playing hockey, and they've done a lot for this team. The city and the support have always been incredible and it was a ton of fun, but I think it's a little fresh still, of course. But I mean, a lot of things to be proud of and we'll be able to use this and keep pushing forward here.

Hyman: "Yeah, similar to Nuge: the most fun I've had playing hockey for sure. Game 6 was maybe the best building we'll ever play in. It was amazing. The fans were amazing. I hope we have more opportunities to play in games like that. Maybe one day, we'll have an opportunity to win a cup in front of fans like that. It's just hard. You go through a whole year in a run like that where you have everybody kind of behind you and you're creating this great story and you just fall short. It's hard.”

Nugent-Hopkins on the evolution of the Oilers he’s seen over his 13 years with the club before getting to this point:

“I think I've been a part of some really good hockey teams before and obviously never got to this point. I think what separated this group was the heart and the belief that we had in this room. We talk about it all the time, and I feel like it gets brushed off a little bit, but we truly believe in each other. Right down to the last couple minutes of that Game 7, we still fully believed that were going to come back and we were going to find a goal and win that thing in overtime. Just the determination and the will that this group makes it so special to be a part of. You can be on a good hockey team, but if you don't have that, then you're not going to get to that next level. And we certainly had that. We kept bringing it out of each other, of ourselves, in all these different circumstances. It made it a lot of fun to be a part of this group, and I think that's for me the biggest reason we got to this point.”

Nugent-Hopkins on the adversity the Oilers faced making them stronger for next season:

“Yeah, I think anytime you get experience like this in the playoffs and the deeper you go, the better the experience. The harder the experience, it for sure helps you move forward in your career as an individual and as a group. So I mean, I think as soon as that puck drops next season, we're going to be hungry and ready to go, but it's been a fun journey.

"I think I've said it all the time. I think everybody goes through tough stretches. I know when I first came in, we were kind of near the bottom of the league, but I feel like every player, it's rare for you to just jump into the league and be on a good team right away and make the playoffs every year. I feel like everybody's got to go through some tough years to learn and grow, and being in a group like this certainly makes those early years worth it. But it's the proudest I've been to be an Edmonton Oiler and I’ve certainly been fortunate enough to be with this organization in the city for 13 years.”

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch:

Coach Knoblauch on the injuries that Oilers’ players were playing through during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

“With Connor’s, I'm not sure what the process is going to be and how bad it was. I don't have very much information to give you. Leon was battling things throughout the playoffs – ribs and hands – and at certain times it was worse than others, and there were games where we weren't sure he was going to play. But he fought through it and played very well in those games. And then Evander, obviously with the sports hernia, it was something that was bothering him throughout the season and got to the point where it just limited his game. Unfortunately, we missed him.”

Coach Knoblauch on coming this far with the Oilers in his first season behind an NHL bench:

“It's unfortunate. You often get defined on winning that last game, and we were so close to winning it, but I don't know. I think there are so many positives throughout the season that we should be happy about. Obviously, we got a group that's very disappointed, angry and upset that we didn't win Game 7, but I felt with five more minutes, we would have tied that game up. A couple of loose pocks that we just couldn't get our sticks on. But that's the game and Florida is a very worthy champion. We have a lot to look forward to next season.”

Knoblauch on the adversity faced in his first NHL season making him a better coach for next year:

“I think adversity makes us all stronger. We learn from it. You either have to adapt or you run away from it, and obviously if you run away from it, you're not getting better.

"That adversity that we faced as a team has only made us stronger; has made players stronger. It's made me stronger. I've been able to adapt and get new ideas on how to communicate systems and how we're teaching and all that stuff. I think it's been beneficial, but also in my first year as a head coach, there's obviously a lot of learning for me. I think just having the confidence of being able to do this over again, because you come into a new league, a new team and you're not sure if what you've been doing is good enough; if you've got adapt or if there's adjustments that you need to make.

"But I think overall, with the support I have from my coaching staff, the leadership that I had in the dressing room, that made my job a lot easier and now that I've seen how the season went, I'm very confident about how the season is going to go next year.”

Knoblauch on the desire to keep his inherited coaching staff intact for the 2024-25 NHL season:

"Coming in, having a coaching staff is very important. You guys are working together and everyone's got different strengths, weaknesses, and it's important that you're all in sync. I came into this and I had no say whatsoever on who the staff is going to be. Everyone was staying put or Paul [Coffey] was joining, and really I didn't know these guys at all.

"Even if I had a clean slate that day when I came here and was given the opportunity to go out and pick my staff and hire who I wanted to, I don't think I would have been able to get a staff as qualified and capable as the one I have here. I don't know what we are doing moving forward. I assume everyone's coming back. I would like everyone to come back. I think we worked well together. I think everyone's got different strengths, but as I said before, I don't think I could have had a better group to work with."

Adam Henrique & Warren Foegele:

Foegele on what he learned about himself in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

“When it's the playoffs, it's the ‘we’ time, not the ‘me’ time. I feel like I've always been a pretty good teammate and whatever role that I'm asked to do, I try to do it at 100 percent. That kind of was how the playoffs went for me on a personal level with the way it started, and roles change. Whatever gives us the best chance to win.

"That's why it's so special about this group. We’ve got a lot of guys who are willing to do whatever it takes to win, so that's what I kind of would characterize my playoffs – do anything to help the team win. Whatever line I'm on, I'm always gonna give it my best and I thought I did that and I'm proud of how hard we all played and it just sucks us coming up a bit short.”

Henrique on the experience of playing in Edmonton during the playoffs:

“To experience firsthand was really special and probably exceeded my expectations. I loved my time in New Jersey and certainly in Anaheim too, but to come here and see how much the team means to the fans, it's on another level. It really is. To see how much everybody cares, they feel like they're part of it along with the players, so it certainly exceeded my expectations.”

Foegele gives his thoughts on becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1:

“Well, obviously it stings right now. The game is just a game of inches and you're playing in the last game of the year for all the marbles, and you just come up just short. So I haven't really thought so much about Free Agency just because so much just happened. That one's going to hurt for a while, and obviously in the next couple of days I’ll try to figure out what's going on and stuff. But I've always loved my time here. I've created so many great friendships. I love the city. The fans have been great to me. So obviously, I'd like to stay here, but I also know it's a business and they also need to want to have me, too. It's not just a one-way street, but nothing but love for my time here and hope everyone knows that when I was out there, I always worked my bag off and I was always giving effort.”

“This is my first experience really ever being a UFA, so for me, my whole career, I've always been in the playoffs. It's four years in a row now that I've lost to the Cup champs. I feel like my game, I'm such a competitive player. I want to win, and I know the next couple of days, a [signing] factor for me is a chance to win as well. So I guess we'll see.”

“I've said it to you many times. I think of these guys like brothers, and it's been a crazy roller coaster my three years here and it's kind of just our team as a whole. We sometimes just put ourselves in holes and then we get ourselves out of them, and it's a great group of guys. It's not even just the players – the staff here is amazing. It's just a great place to play, and it would definitely be tough [to leave]. I've created some really good friends here and I've really enjoyed my time here, so it would be hard.”

Henrique on pending free agency after arriving in Edmonton as a trade-deadline acquisition:

“We just had preliminary thoughts as a family of what might be or what could be, and we don't know yet. So it's such a quick turnaround here that a lot has to go on with teams heading to the Draft. Who knows what happens at the Draft as far as trades throughout the league and all that, so there's a lot to go through, but just early thoughts, I loved coming here and having the opportunity to chase the Cup and play with the guys here. I felt like I fit in great with the group, so I think for me, anything's on the table and we just wait until this weekend or next week to get things sorted.”

“I think there's a price for winning. Being on a team like Edmonton that's so close, and year after year now, the Stanley Cup is the goal for me coming in. It kind of renews the passion for the game a bit. I haven't had the opportunity to be in the playoffs for a long time and have that opportunity to win. For me, I think as far as dollars go, there's an understanding that it might cost a bit, but whatever that is, it could be worth it in the end. For myself and my family, what the most important thing is moving forward will be key, and hopefully, we can get home to have some discussions with everybody and go from there. But certainly, I don't think money is the number one thing for me at this point in my career.”

Connor Brown & Vincent Desharnais:

Brown on returning to form at the right time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a season involving recovery from off-season knee surgery:

“Well, it's obviously been a pretty emotional few days since it all kind of happened. It still feels fresh. I think over the next couple weeks I'll probably take some downtime to rest and recover and do some reflection on the season that was. It was a bit of a roller coaster and I’m proud of the resilience this team showed. It's easy to kind of show that resilience when you're surrounded by guys doing that, so I'm just really appreciative for this group and for that season as a whole."

Brown on wanting to remain a member of the Oilers:

“Yeah, of course. This is where I want to be. I think my heart's here. Everything that we kind of went through together, and on top of that, just the fans and the kind of patience they showed me and the way they treated me when I scored and it's a really special place to play. I think I'm starting to see that, and you hear about it, but it really feels like a team just getting better and so many committed, motivated, determined guys and the kind of guys you want to be around.”

“Obviously I really liked my time here. I've always said it, this place is awesome – the fans are the best fans, the family that we created here, the chemistry – everything is awesome. Coming to the rink every morning this year was easy, but it's a business and we'll see what happens. Hopefully, we can make it work.”

Desharnais on his first full NHL season and his changing role in the postseason:

“Yeah, I thought it was a pretty good season for me. I thought I got better as the season went on. I thought I got more and more confident. I thought I had some good playoff games too, and there were some changes that the coaching staff made and it's part of the game. It's part of having a team that has great depth and I was so proud of how Broberg came in and had such a big role for us. It was awesome to see.

"Obviously, it was frustrating at first. You want to play every game and it’s such a big stage and you grow up wanting to be in the Stanley Cup Final. You want to play, but I'm proud of my season. I'm proud of my playoffs and I'm proud of how the guys played and how they battled and were never out, and that's the belief that we had all season and it was awesome to see. Obviously, it stings. It stings quite a bit the way it ended, but I think there are a lot of things to be proud of.

Desharnais on his pending free agency:

“Honestly, right now I'm just still trying to process what happened the season, the playoffs, and I'll be in touch with my agent within the next couple of days to kind of see what happens. But as of now, I can't really give you an answer on that, and we'll just go one day at a time and see how we can make it work. If not, I'll just hit the market and we'll see what happens. If I get more than one phone call, great. If I don't, I'll take whatever I can get.”

Mattias Janmark:

Janmark on Edmonton’s run to coming one game shy of winning the Stanley Cup:

“We came and we showed up as a team early before the season really committed to having a good year, and then we kind of got kicked in the face right away and dug ourselves a hole and brought ourselves back from that. And then, you get to the playoffs and it was a great run. It's been a great year with everyone in that room, and when you go through a long playoff run like that, you get close to everyone on the team, all the staff and everyone has done an incredible job and invested a lot. You end up a shot away, so that's a tough feeling. But it's been a really fun ride and just didn't end the way we wanted.”

Janmark on his own play as one of the most impactful forwards in the Stanley Cup Final and the development of his role:

“It's hard to say that you're like that as a player. It doesn't always end up that way, but you try to be as good as you can when it matters the most. I think as far as this year went, I didn't have my greatest year in the regular season. I thought I played pretty well to be honest, but I did what I needed to do on a lot of nights and didn't end up on the scoresheet. But then, we were winning games. If you take away the start, we were winning a lot of games and everyone was contributing in their own way. But then you get to the playoffs and I think for me, that's when you need people to get out of their comfort zone a little. You need to get contributions from people like myself. I scored four goals the whole year, but I was never really too worried about it because I knew that if you can score even just one big goal in the playoffs, that will make up for all of it. So that's always what you're looking forward to and maybe that's what brings the best out of you. When it comes down to it in the playoffs, you try to make up for everything else.”

“Like I said, it was a tough year. Personally, if you look at the points, I never thought going into the year that I would only have twelve points or whatnot, but you kind of grind through it and I thought I played pretty well on the defensive side of the puck and got better there. You kind of learned how to play and how to be effective maybe when you're not scoring, and then, the playoff run was great. Obviously, like every playoff run you go on, you learn from it, you get experiences and this year, we got a lot of experience. We were down 3-2 against Vancouver and we were able to come back and play Game 7. We were down 2-1, and then, we were down 3-0 in the final and took it to Game 7. So those are experiences that will always be valuable when you play another playoff.”

Janmark on his feelings entering Free Agency as an unrestricted free agent:

“To be honest, with the year I've had, I haven't thought much about the future. I was probably not expecting to have a lot of offers the way the year went and then I probably salvaged a little bit of that in the playoffs. Free agency is coming up here quickly, so I'm gonna have to start thinking about it a little. But you want to win. Like I said, it's tough. It's always tough to leave a team and players that you feel like you can win with, so that'll have to go into consideration. And then, you'll have to look at your options. I don't think I'll be able to turn down too much money, to be honest. I don't think there's going to be too much out there, but I want to win and we'll see what's out there.”