What did McDavid mean by his Edmonton Oilers contract comments?
It’s impossible not to sense some concern from the Edmonton Oilers fanbase right now.
After back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, the outlook of this team could wind up changing from contender to average-at-best by the end of the 2025-26 season. That, of course, will be determined by what happens with Connor McDavid.
The Oilers captain has just one season remaining on his contract and was eligible to sign an extension as of July 1. Such a deal hasn’t yet been agreed upon, however, and it sounds as though the 28-year-old phenom is in no rush to get something done right away.
“I said at the end of June I had every intention just to take my time with it, and I still feel the same way,” McDavid said to a group of reporters in Calgary on Wednesday morning. “[Going to] take my time and go through everything.”
While that opening statement was certainly beginning to set off alarm bells in Edmonton, the well-spoken McDavid helped put them at ease immediately after.
“I have every intention to win in Edmonton,” McDavid said. “It’s my only focus… That is my intention, to win there. Taking my time, going through it with my family, my agent, everybody involved. We’re going through it slowly.”
Stating that he specifically wants to win in Edmonton is music to the ears of Oilers fans. While winning in the city where he began his NHL career does seem to be his top priority, however, is it possible?
Upon joining the Oilers, McDavid’s top priority was to win a Stanley Cup for the city that drafted him. That still seems to remain his goal, though there may be some hesitancy as to whether it’s possible. If it were up to Oilers management, he would already be locked up long-term, so the fact that an extension hasn’t been agreed upon yet suggests the superstar talent has some reservations.
A big thing for McDavid is to hear what the plan of Oilers management is to keep them competitive. They are clearly a Stanley Cup contender right now, but with key contributors including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Mattias Ekholm all aged 32 and above, this current window could close quickly without the right plan in place.
On top of that, there are already some concerns with this current roster, particularly between the pipes. That’s something that McDavid would never admit publicly, but surely knows to be a legitimate issue.
Given the uncertainty of the Oilers’ long-term competitive window, we may instead see McDavid opt for a shorter contract. The length of such a deal will likely indicate how many years he is confident this current group can continue competing for a Stanley Cup.
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