Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman gives positive update on McDavid contract talks
Training camp has arrived in the Alberta capital, but Connor McDavid still does not have a new contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
As players hit the ice for a new season, anxiety around the fanbase is high as they nervously wait for their captain to sign a contract that extends beyond this upcoming season. New details concerning the negotiations were revealed on Tuesday morning, indicating contract numbers have yet to be exchanged between the two sides.
McDavid’s sit-down interview with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas also didn’t do much to calm nerves.
The catastrophizing has already begun for the fanbase, but Oilers GM Stan Bowman isn’t buying into the panic. He met with the media on Wednesday morning to open up training camp and gave a positive spin on where the team currently stands with the captain.
Apparently, his confidence comes from what he has heard from McDavid in negotiations.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a sales pitch as much as it’s a dialogue,” Bowman told reporters. “I go by what Connor says, which is that he wants nothing more than to win in Edmonton. I take him at his word.
“He’s going through his own process, and I think you have to understand that and respect that. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”
"Focused more on where weāre headed, not where we came from."
As #Oilers Training Camp begins, General Manager Stan Bowman addresses the media from @RogersPlace.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/6m1PSd2cU6
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 17, 2025
Bowman reiterated that McDavid doesn’t seem as interested in the money part of his next contract as much as the team’s immediate future. The veteran GM remained optimistic that a deal would be reached with the Oilers captain, but he was unsure of the timetable for an agreement.
“I’ve never gotten the impression he’s focused on money,” Bowman said. “It has to feel right [for McDavid]. Whenever that moment comes, maybe it’s gonna be two days from now or three days from now or two weeks from now.
“It’s up to Connor, and I understand that.”
McDavid is not the only Oilers player entering the final year of his contract. Guys like Jake Walman, Mattias Ekholm, and Vasily Podkolzin are also eligible to sign new extensions. The popular belief was that the team would take care of McDavid first before moving on to other contracts.
Bowman poured some cold water on that notion, but did say that nothing is close to getting done with those players at this time.
“We have had preliminary discussions with a bunch of people who are going into the last year of their deal,” Bowman said. “I don’t know if we’re gonna wrap all those up in the next little bit or if it’ll be at the end of the season.
“Nothing to report as being near the end… I don’t think [McDavid’s contract] is related to [other contracts].”
If you think the Oilers don’t sense the panic among the fanbase, you’re wrong. Bowman noted that he understands why fans are feeling on edge about the situation, but reiterated that it isn’t the feeling for the Oilers.
“I realize [these negotiations] are on everyone’s minds, and the media, and the fans, it’s on our minds too,” Bowman said. “We’ve had multiple conversations, and he’s been very consistent on what he’s been saying to the media as well as myself.
“It’s hard, I get it, there is a lot of anxiousness. I trust what Connor says. When Connor says there is nothing that he wants more than to win in Edmonton, I believe him.”
It’s good to hear the team sound confident in the process, as the fanbase slowly descends into chaos on this situation. Yet, it will do little to calm the masses. The only thing that can do that is McDavid putting pen to paper.