John Scott's Connor McDavid comment takes pressure off Oilers management

Retired NHLer and one-time All-Star John Scott shared an outrageous take about Connor McDavid, saying he wouldn't build a playoff team around the NHL's best player but in doing so he lifted pressure off Oilers management, who have failed to build a contending team around McDavid.

Video Transcript

OMAR: I think any, like, any idea or any piece of evidence that suggested that McDavid can't, like, turn it on or like-- or even hit another-- hit another gear in the playoffs, like, should have been completely erased last year, because again, he snapped. And for the most part, he kind of had to do it on his own a little bit because Draisaitl was like on a busted leg. Like, the dude could barely skate.

Like, McDavid had-- and he did-- yeah, and he still did all right. So he had so many big moments, like, I don't understand that. And regardless of all that, it's Connor freaking McDavid, man.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Actually-- let me-- actually, I say, I say Leon Draisaitl was all right. Connor McDavid led the entirety of last year's playoffs in scoring, 10 goals, 33 points. Leon Draisaitl was 1 point behind Connor McDavid. Their two best players were the two best scorers in the postseason.

Like, you had-- there was a legit. Like, I was asking people if, like, if there was a legitimate chance Connor McDavid could get a Conn Smythe Trophy vote, and he wasn't in the-- and he wasn't in the Stanley Cup Final. Like--

OMAR: The dude [INAUDIBLE].

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I can understand if there were other people you might want to look at for who you want to start a playoff team with, but like, I don't know. I think it's a little disrespectful.

OMAR: If he said Matthews, I'd be like, you know what, fine. If he said any-- Matthews, Marner, Nylander. But McDavid? Come on now.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: At the very least, you're saying all those guys in front just to kind of cover it a little bit, but like, I think there's a little bit hate. There's a little bit of hate. And I get it. Connor McDavid, maybe he's not the greatest player when it comes to playing damn defense, fine.

But have you seen what he can do with the puck on his stick, and the speed that he has, and the game breaking ability that he could do, and the series he could literally win in overtime, like he did against-- like he did against Calgary? Sorry, Flames fans. But like, have we not seen what this man could do in the postseason? Like, he could do it. He's in the prime of his career.

OMAR: [INAUDIBLE] Avry.

[LAUGHS]

Avry, Avry, speak, speak. Avry, say it with your chest.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: [INAUDIBLE] Avry.

OMAR: [INAUDIBLE]

JULIAN MCKENZIE: New segment alert. [INAUDIBLE] Avry.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: [LAUGHS]

That was probably the most absurd, ridiculous thing I've heard. It also, that kind of quote from John Scott takes the pressure off of Oilers management who built a team that couldn't be Winnipeg, that couldn't beat Chicago, and got clapped against Colorado. You're taking all the pressure off of Ken Holland and management. And does a player have influence on a roster? Certainly. All good players do.

[INAUDIBLE] but the GM is the one who makes those deals and bring those players in. And time and time and time again, we've seen Edmonton fall and lose winnable series. So I'm not going to put-- I'm not going to put the results entirely on McDavid. No, this is a guy who last year had 33 points in the postseason, turned around the series, got them back into things against LA, helped them beat the Calgary Flames, and you're going to walk out on your team?

You're going to tell me, like, that is because he hasn't won yet? How many other players it took them years to get to a Cup Final. Guys like Eisenman, Ovechkin, et cetera, et cetera. It took them time. And you're going to say, oh, I don't want that guy on my team. I don't want that guy, he doesn't win. I don't want that guy.