Edmonton Oilers expecting clarity on McDavid contract in matter of days: report
The Edmonton Oilers will get a better idea of where Connor McDavid stands on a potential extension before the season starts, according to a new report.
In a saga that almost nobody expected, the Oilers are set to begin the regular season on Wednesday with their captain on an expiring contract. It’s a story that has dominated the team since September, and the noise is only getting louder by the day.
Rumours about the reason for the delay have run amok on social media, but NHL insider Elliotte Friedman thinks some clarity is coming from McDavid before the puck drops. He gave an update on the situation on Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast.
“Reading the tea leaves here, I do think that McDavid wants to give the Oilers clarity before the season begins,” Friedman said. “By either signing or explaining why specifically he wouldn’t sign.
“I think we’re going to have an idea, one way or another, in the next day or two.”
McDavid can shut down all the speculation and outside noise with one stroke of a pen, but if it were that easy, it feels like something would already be done by now. There appears to be some hesitation by McDavid to ink an extension with the Oilers, and if what Friedman is reporting is true, things are about to come to a head.
Letting this extend into the regular season would supercharge the attention around the situation. While the Oilers may be able to control a bit of the media frenzy at home, reporters from other markets will swarm the team at every road game, asking questions about McDavid’s contract.
Fellow NHL insider Frank Seravalli corroborated Friedman’s initial report, but seemed a bit more confident that a deal could be reached before Wednesday’s home opener.
“Sounds like the Oilers and Connor McDavid have nudged forward conversations on a contract extension,” wrote Seravalli. “The door is wide open now for a deal to be in place before Edmonton’s season opener.”
Sounds like #Oilers and Connor McDavid have nudged forward conversations on a contract extension – the door is wide open now for a deal to be in place before Edmonton's season opener.
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— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 6, 2025
It’s a story that nobody seems to have a clear understanding of, but there doesn’t appear to be much panic from Oilers management, at least publicly. GM Stan Bowman has been adamant that the team is confident in signing McDavid and is simply going through the process.
However, the Oilers fan base will remain in a state of anxiety until something breaks regarding McDavid’s contract status. It seems like we’re either headed toward a long-awaited conclusion or another long stretch of uncertainty.
Only time will tell.