Connor McDavid is leading a solid Edmonton Oilers lineup in the current 2024-25 NHL season. The team’s goal is to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs, and if they have that luck, they might finally get the option to end the Oilers’ trophy drought. However, McDavid and some of his team members will be wearing Team Canada’s sweaters in a few days due to the 4 Nations Face-off, which will undoubtedly be an impressive sight for many fans.

On this special occasion, one of the #97’s teammates has shared their thoughts on the favorites to win the tournament. However, a Swedish ice hockey legend and current panelist, intrigued by the 32-year-old’s opinion, posed a cheeky question.

During the NHL on TNT post-game interview, Jeff Skinner was invited by the panelists. And after a while, Henrik Lundqvist offered him a question, stating, “You know, the guys here on the panel, we pretend to be experts, but what do you think? Who’s going to win this four-nation? We could use some real information.”

They immediately started to chuckle. Indeed, not only the Oilers’ center but also the Swedish ice hockey icon knew that it was a cheeky question, but still, he wanted to know the answer. Sticking to his opinion, Skinner shared his thoughts, stating, “I don’t know. I feel like you guys got a better handle on it than me, but I don’t know. I’m Canadian. I play in Canada. I think I’d probably go to Canada. Yeah, I don’t know if Connor would like that. So we’re going to go Canada.”

Now, that’s really diplomatic of the Oilers’ center! This is Skinner’s first season with the Oilers after he ended his six-season stint with the Buffalo Sabres. Surely, he won’t want any beef with his captain while the team will be heading toward the Stanley Cup playoffs in a few months. Obviously, Skinner’s relationship with McDavid is all well, and whatever he stated is pure sarcasm.

However, why did Lundqvist want him to choose Sweden as the favorite for the tournament? See, the panelist is also a Swedish ice hockey legend, and during his career, he helped his country win not only an Olympic gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics but also a World Championship title in 2017. Indeed, he will want to see players wanting Sweden to win this tournament. But Skinner has his own way of replying. He’s also excited about his stint in Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-off, but McDavid is looking forward to playing with another ice hockey talent on the team.

A player who has intrigued Connor McDavid

Catching the attention of someone like Connor McDavid is never easy. Whether it’s a fan or someone who’s trying to make a mark on the ice. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner is somebody who has caught the Oilers #97’s interest ahead of the 4 Nations Face-off. Indeed, they will be teammates, and it is something that the Oilers’ captain is looking forward to.

 “A guy that I’ve never played with before at any level, so I’m excited about that… reminds me a little bit of Leo [Draisaitl], he can slow the game down when he has to, & I like playing with guys like that,” said McDavid. However, the bond between the two goes back to their childhood. Indeed, they have known each other since they were in junior hockey programs and even spent time with each other in Team Canada as teammates. 

But didn’t McDavid say that this will be the first time he will be sharing a team with him? Maybe the Oilers captain was being sarcastic. They were together at the 2016 IIHF World Championship and the 2017 IIHF World Championship, where in Russia in 2016, Team Canada secured a gold medal against Team Finland in the finals, followed by a silver medal in the next edition. Many fans will be looking forward to watching them team up once again after so many years of having a successful NHL career.