McDavid: 'It's been tough to get going' after 4 Nations

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid acknowledged that it's been hard for him to readjust to the NHL grind after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

"I'd be lying if I said I've been feeling good out there," he said Thursday. "It's been tough to get going, which is obviously not an excuse. I've got to find a way to get going here. Obviously a big emotional week, an exciting week last week. Back to reality pretty quick."

He added: "It felt like we were going from the dog days of the year right into a Stanley Cup Final - not that it's the Stanley Cup Final, but that's what it felt like."

McDavid scored the overtime winner that lifted Canada over the United States in the 4 Nations final one week ago, but he and his team have struggled since regular-season play resumed.

The Oilers have lost their first three games after the break while being outscored 17-7. McDavid has chipped in with just two assists and is a team-worst minus-7 over that span.

McDavid is up to 22 goals and 73 points in 52 contests on the year, but it's been a tale of two campaigns for the superstar.

He was electric with 15 tallies and 54 points through his first 34 outings of the season, good for a 1.59 point-per-game rate, but he's slowed down to a 1.06 clip with seven tallies and 12 assists in his first 18 outings of 2025.

The 28-year-old is on pace to finish with 107 points, his lowest total since he hit 105 points in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

"Obviously the year hasn't gone the way I would have loved, personally, but we're not after personal success," McDavid said.

He added: "I wish I was playing better. I wish I had played better all year. ... Winning games is more important, and we haven't been doing that lately."

Luckily for Edmonton, McDavid knows what he has to do to get back to his game.

"Wanting the puck, taking guys on, being assertive. ... It's winning battles, and keeping the puck alive," he said.

He continued: "If I'm not touching the puck, it's usually a sign that I'm not playing very well. ... I just haven't been around it enough."

The reigning Western Conference champions will look to break out of their skid Thursday against the Florida Panthers in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton also lost its last game before the 4 Nations break.

The Oilers are in second place in the Pacific with a 34-20-4 record.