Gretzky makes prediction on whether or not McDavid will leave Edmonton Oilers
The Great One has weighed in on Connor McDavid’s future with the Edmonton Oilers.
Wayne Gretzky appeared on the Pat McAfee Show over the weekend, where he was asked about his opinion on McDavid’s situation in Edmonton. There has been a lot of speculation regarding the Oilers captain’s future in the Alberta capital.
McDavid has one year left on his current deal after this season and will be eligible to sign a contract extension as soon as next summer. It took until October to sign the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner to a contract a year ago, and the pressure is on the Oilers to prove to McDavid that he should ink a long-term extension in Edmonton once again.
From Gretzky’s perspective, he thinks that #97 won’t be leaving the Oilers any time soon.
“I think he’s a mainstay in Edmonton,” Gretzky says. “He likes it there, the organization is a good organization, and they got a chance every year to win, and that’s all he wants.
“I don’t see Connor leaving Edmonton.”
"There's no question that Connor McDavid is the best player in the game..
Nobody wants to win a championship more than him and I hope one day he gets to lift the Stanley Cup..
I don't see him leaving Edmonton" @WayneGretzky#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QfwPlKyWv7
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 30, 2026
Though he thinks McDavid is staying put in Edmonton, Gretzky did admit that the pressure is ramping up on both him and the Oilers to finally get over the hump and win a Stanley Cup.
Just about every other generational talent before him found a way to reach hockey’s peak, with Sidney Crosby winning his first Stanley Cup at age 21, Gretzky did so at 23, and even Nathan MacKinnon managed to snag one with the Colorado Avalanche at age 26.
McDavid is set to turn 30 in January.
“I’m sure there’s a little more pressure right now than there was five, six, seven years ago,” Gretzky said. “There’s no question he’s the best player in the game; the question might be in a couple of years: does he go down as the greatest player who ever lived?
“There’s always a stigma about winning a Stanley Cup, and I know him really well; nobody wants to win a championship worse than he does. Hopefully his time will come… He definitely deserves it.”
McDavid has gotten close on two separate occasions to finally getting his Stanley Cup, but was thwarted by the Florida Panthers both times. Times are tense in Edmonton to finally get the job done, and both the organization and fans are hoping that this is the year things finally fall into place.