Connor McDavid stays vague on Oilers' new system

Connor McDavid was asked what he's learned that's new with the Oilers, and the answer was short on detail.

Edmonton finished off a 4-1 win at the Rangers tonight, its third straight. The Oilers sit at 11-2-2 with Mike Babcock behind the bench.

Jonny Lazarus wrote that McDavid kept coming back to the "new" things in Edmonton during his postgame. So Lazarus, admitting it wasn't his best phrased question, asked him to share one new thing he may have learned. McDavid answered: "I don't know. No. As I said, a lot of new here in Edmonton with the coaching staff and the system, and…"

Whatever the new system asks of him, it hasn't slowed him down. He has 39 points in 15 games, with 9 goals and 30 assists, and he's a +20. It followed McDavid's record 13-game opening assist streak.

Saturday at the Islanders was a typical night. He picked up an assist on the power play, put three shots on goal and logged 23:20 in a 4-0 win.

Tristan Jarry made 18 saves for the shutout that night, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice. McDavid didn't need to light the lamp for the Oilers to cruise.

Lazarus noted that McDavid's answer trailed off mid-thought, pointing to the coaching staff and the system without naming a single change.

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The record shows where the new look is paying off. Edmonton is 7-0-0 on the road, but only 4-2-2 at home, and that gap will draw questions if it lingers.

Why a captain's vague answer on the system still matters

A star who can't, or won't, point to a specific adjustment leaves the room guessing about what Babcock's staff has actually changed. The results say it's working, so nobody is pushing hard yet.

Goal differential backs that up. The Oilers have scored 64 and allowed 44, a +20 margin that matches McDavid's own rating.

It's also a small window into how a group that has talked a lot this season about its leaders handles questions about itself. Last week McDavid went to bat for Evan Bouchard and the Norris Trophy with no hesitation at all.

The next test comes Tuesday, November 3, when the Oilers visit New Jersey and try to stretch that road record to 8-0-0.

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