Connor McDavid’s Oilers reportedly rushed into extending Evan Bouchard because of pressure from powerhouse in the East

While extending Evan Bouchard was no surprise for the Edmonton Oilers, the speed with which the deal came together raised eyebrows around the NHL. As it turns out, the swift decision to lock up one of Connor McDavid’s key teammates may have been prompted by a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference lurking in the outskirts.

The NHL isn’t used to such high-contract negotiations to be settled within days of the season’s finale. Yet Bouchard, the top blueliner for the Oilers wasted no time putting pen to paper on a four-year, $42M deal in Edmonton.

Bouchard will earn himself a total salary of $12M during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NHL seasons. During the last two seasons of the four-year extension, the salary will drop to $9M. Undoubtedly, he earned the big bucks with an out-of-this-world production in Edmonton. However, reports are indicating the Oilers might have rushed into an extension due to pressure from the Carolina Hurricanes.

“The reason the Evan Bouchard extension got done so quickly is because the Hurricanes threatened the Oilers with an offer-sheet. They pivoted to [New York Rangers RFA] K’Andre Miller after Bouchard extended,” per Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Here comes the money

The Oilers crossed a major task off their to-do list with the swift resolution, and can now fully turn their attention to an even bigger challenge: re-signing McDavid. That will be a novel in itself—one where the buzz around the rest of the NHL could become deafening.

Fanbases are already fantasizing about McDavid potentially hitting free agency in the summer of 2026. That will pale in comparison to the frenzy if the Oilers and their franchise player encounter even the slightest hiccup in negotiations.

Oiler through and through

If it could, Edmonton would throw a lifetime contract on the table for McDavid and his camp. Unfortunately for the organization in Canada’s Oil Capital, that’s simply not within the realm of possibility.

Edmonton will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to re-sign McDavid for as long as possible—and every team around the league should know there’s nothing the Oilers won’t do if it gives them even the slightest chance to keep the best player in the NHL for the long haul.