Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have the work cut out for them in the 2025-26 NHL season. However, as much pressure as there is on the captain and company, McDavid believes the brass in Alberta has its due share of responsibility, too.
McDavid sure took his time before putting pen to paper on a contract extension in Edmonton. With days to go before the NHL season debut, the Oilers’ captain finally signed his new deal. However, he isn’t letting general manager Stan Bowman and the front office off the hook.
As the Oilers gear up to chase the Stanley Cup in the 2025-26 NHL season, McDavid dropped a bold comment, reminding the brass in the Gateway to the North of their pivotal part in the team’s championship hopes.
“Ultimately, [it comes down to spending more money]. It’s a cap system, love it or hate it, it’s our system. We’ve got to work around it. When you have a great team, you spend right to the cap every year,” McDavid admitted during an interview with TSN. “And we want them to keep doing that. Just throwing in my two cents and I hope it helps.”
Paid the price
It’s no secret the Oilers have virtually handed over the keys to the city of Edmonton to McDavid. The captain has shown he’s in control, having managed the pace of contract talks and secured the extension on his own terms. His latest statement is another example of McDavid essentially holding a captain/executive role on the Oilers.
The franchise didn’t really have another option, as forcing McDavid’s hand could have led to him walking away in the summer of 2026. Now, the Oilers don’t face that threat until the 2028 offseason. By then, they hope to have hoisted the team’s sixth Stanley Cup—or risk being out of means to convince McDavid to stay.
Seeing is believing
Speaking about the road going forward, McDavid painted a clear picture of what he hopes will be Edmonton’s reality in the upcoming NHL seasons.
“I want to see great teams that compete right to June, like we have the last couple of years. That’s the goal every single year,” McDavid commented. “[Signing for] two years makes a lot of sense, it’s kind of a changing landscape around the league with the cap [rising]. Our team is in a place to win now, so it makes a lot of sense.“
Words are like wind, though. Actions are required, and if the Oilers are serious about hoisting the Stanley Cup, they’ll need all hands on deck. McDavid is locked and loaded, and the ice is already set in Edmonton. The NHL season is finally here, and the Oilers hope they won’t let it go to waste.