Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Thrive Under Pressure

The Edmonton Oilers boast two of the best players in the world, if not the two best players in the world, in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Each player has taken their game to new heights this season with the Oilers. While every year players want to improve, the great ones not only say it, but do it. Seeing them both strive in the Stanley Cup Final is nothing new.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Understand Pressure Playing in Canada

Both players welcome the big stage and understand the pressure that comes with it, but they harness that energy to elevate their game to new heights. As NHLRumors.com documented last year after the 2024 Stanley Cup, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl don’t feel the pressure of playing in a Canadian Market. They thrive on it.

“Yeah, of course. The pressure is higher here, of course. Just through media, fans, you know, the expectations,” Draisaitl said after he was asked about the pressure playing in a Canadian market ahead of the Western Conference Final. “It’s just the way it is. It’s a hockey country. It starts with hockey, and it ends with hockey in this country. I don’t know if teams feel that they get under pressure with that… But we can handle it.”

This was about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the comments regarding how Toronto is a tough market to play in, due to the pressure the players face and their inability to step up in the big moment. It is clear the two cities are different, but so are the players, as McDavid and Draisaitl are just built differently. They understand the mentality needed to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, having been so close a year ago.

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And you can see through the first two games that the Oilers are feeding off what their star players are bringing to the table.

“They’re very confident, confident and very comfortable in this situation,” Mattias Ekholm said before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. “I see leadership out of both of them. They lead by example, on the ice, off the ice. I don’t think that me as a player on their team could ask anything more out of them. I think they do everything possible that are in their power to be as prepared and as good as they can be for the rest of the team.”

McDavid has adopted the mentality that he will not ask his teammates to do something he wouldn’t do himself. Same with Draisaitl. That is why the Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final. These guys get it. Again, pressure is a privilege, and McDavid and Draisaitl have been dealing with it all their careers.

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You see it too. Last year, Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy with 42 points, the third most in NHL history in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a losing effort. Once again, he is leading the playoffs, but this time, he has taken things people say personally and is proving he can do them. Like, playing defense, and he is tired of answering that question. Or the question about the goaltender.

But even still, when a big goal or assist is needed, both guys find a way to get it done. Just look what McDavid did in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on the assist to Leon Draisaitl. It was the highlight assist of the playoffs.

As Leon Draisaitl told the media ahead of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, when McDavid was asked how a young player could do that, “You can’t learn that.” 

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When Connor Brown was asked about these guys handling the pressure, he told everyone in attendance that they like it and embrace it, but it is not all about them because they share the burden with the whole team.

Yeah, obviously, I think it’s interesting I think the media obviously often asks you and wants to know about the superstars and stuff, but I think they do a really good job of sharing the burden with the guys,” Brown said. “They are such great leaders, and it’s not just on them to win or lose on a night. This is such a team-oriented game. It’s not about two guys, and it’s going to come down to depth. It’s going to come down to team play, and obviously, when you have superstars to make big plays like that, it’s a huge advantage. But they’ve handled pressure their whole careers, and they like it. I mean, I’m sure they don’t shy away from it they lean into it. So those are great leaders for us.

You can see that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are cut from a different mold as they embrace the pressure situations by raising their game and not shying away from the moment.

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