Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Understand Pressure Playing in Canada

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Thrive Under Pressure

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the best players in the world. McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Oilers fell short in the Stanley Cup Final, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers.

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McDavid and Draisaitl have high standards for themselves when they lace up their skates and play. Not only do others expect them to play at a high-level night after night, but they expect that of themselves.

Two weeks ago, Derek Van Diest joined NHL Network with Tony Luftman and Bruce Boudreau and was asked about the pressure Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers face playing in Canada, and Van Diest said it is more of an internal pressure than external pressure.

** NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Tony Luftman: “Being in Edmonton, seeing what it was like during the Cup final, pressure is a privilege. There’s a lot of pressure in that market because there’s so much passion. How much pressure Do you think there is on McDavid and Draisaitl to win a cup for Edmonton?”

Derek Van Diest: “think there’s a lot of pressure on there’s a lot of pressure, not only in Edmonton but Canada. Canada hasn’t won a Stanley Cup. A Canadian team hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in so long. So I think that the pressure is there, and I think part of it is that. But if you ask Connor McDavid, if you ask Leon Draisaitl, regardless of the outside pressures on them to perform, I think they put more pressure on themselves to perform.

I think the pressure is internal. So when it comes to them performing, you see the way they practice, the way they play, they want to be the best. They want to win that Cup. And it’s obviously they want to win it for themselves. And the markets going to obviously rejoice that the playoff drive was unbelievable here this year. People had so much fun, and they’re kind of preparing for another one with the roster moves that they made, but yeah, I think there is pressure on him, because it’s going to be, what’s Connor McDavid legacy going to be?

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Is he going to be considered one of the greatest players in the NHL, never to win the Stanley Cup, or is he going to be able to cement that legacy by winning a Stanley Cup but he’s won every trophy there is to win individually, including the Conn Smythe and so, but now he just needs that big team trophy to kind of really cement his place in the history of the game as one of the game’s all-time best players.”

There is a reason why Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the top centers in the NHL: they don’t take nights and thrive under pressure. They know how to perform under the bright lights, whether external or internal.