McDavid, Oilers look to apply learned lessons for another shot at Stanley Cup title

Connor McDavid was hunched over on the bench.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar captain had given everything in his team's quest to hoist the Stanley Cup.

A record-setting playoff performance. A first Conn Smythe Trophy as post-season MVP. And in that moment, the gut-wrenching realization it still wasn't enough as the Florida Panthers celebrated their Game 7 victory.

That bitter disappointment lingers. It may never completely wash away.

"There hasn't been a ton of sitting back and reflecting," said McDavid, still in search of an elusive first title entering his 10th NHL season. "I'm not sure it's something that you ever get over."

The three-time MVP and the rest of the league are primed to start the climb anew.

The NHL's North American schedule opens Tuesday after a couple of games in Europe last week set the table for 2024-25.

The Panthers are aiming to repeat. The Oilers are hungry to get back.

The NHL, meanwhile, is coming off a record-setting campaign in terms of both attendance and revenue. McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov became just the fourth and fifth players in history with 100 assists last season. Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews scored 69 goals, the most in more than three decades.

WATCH l Sam Reinhart goal stands up as Cup winner for Panthers against Oilers:

McDavid's 42 playoff points were the most in a single post-season by a player not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. He also set a record with 34 assists on the way to winning the Conn Smythe.

So what does the league do for an encore?

"We're all in the same boat in terms of wanting the game to become bigger and more popular," Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl said. "It's on all of us to do that together and keep pushing it forward where it gets to a point where you're like, 'Wow, this is a worldwide, popular sport."'

The Great One thinks there will be plenty of intriguing storylines.