Connor McDavid could have acted as if nothing happened after ending the drama with the news of his contract extension. However, it didn’t feel right. Now, as the 2025-26 NHL season is set to get underway, he dropped an honest statement for the Edmonton Oilers.
These last few months have been a roller coaster for the Oilers. The sheer thought of McDavid playing anywhere else but in Edmonton sent shivers down the spines of everyone in town. Fortunately, those fears can be put to rest—at least for the next three NHL seasons. After that, all the trauma could resurface. But that’s getting too far ahead.
For the moment, McDavid and the Oilers are focused on chasing the Stanley Cup in the 2025-26 NHL campaign. The journey begins on October 8, when they host the Calgary Flames in a new edition of the Battle of Alberta. As the regular season gets underway and the Oilers leave the offseason drama behind, McDavid voiced a final statement to put the matter on the back burner and move on.
“I said everything was on the table and I meant it then,” Connor McDavid told reporters. “That’s the point of being in that situation, you know you have your options but ultimately, our heart’s here in Edmonton. Our heart’s here with the core guys in this room.“
Connor McDavid during Media Day prior to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
Hints of the future
While McDavid is excited to chase the Stanley Cup once again with the Oilers, he made it clear the current group in place played a big part in his final decision. That goes to show the brotherhood formed in the locker room, but it could also spell out bad news for Edmonton down the road. The group won’t remain intact forever. Who is to say McDavid won’t ask for a trade out as the pieces start to fall apart?
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“Obviously, the city and the fans are important to us. We want to win here, we want to bring it back here, and make our city proud,” McDavid added. “But, mostly, for the guys in this room. We’ve been through a lot together. To see it through together is important.”
The price is right
Much had been said about McDavid’s upcoming contract and how much it would cost the Oilers to retain their captain. Initially, most reports suggested he could set a new league record. Later on, it was hinted he might seek a team-friendly deal.
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers
However, when the number finally came out, everyone was shocked to see McDavid had asked for the exact salary he had under his previous contract. It was a dream scenario for Edmonton, though it came at the expense of the term on the new deal. The Oilers couldn’t have it all go their way, though. For McDavid, the price is just right, and it puts the team in a great position to compete for the Stanley Cup.
“I feel like [signing a two-year, $25 million deal] gives us a chance,” McDavid said in dialogue with TSN. “The cap is going up, we’ve got lots of great players in this room that make big money, and I’m one of them. $12.5M is not nothing, it’s a lot of money. It’s not what it could’ve been, obviously. At the end of the day, it gives our management a chance to spend more money.”
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In more ways than one, it feels like nothing is changing in Edmonton, and all the drama around McDavid has only been postponed. The captain opted to kick the can down the road. Now, the Oilers have a three-year championship window. If Lord Stanley is still missing McDavid’s name on its base by the end of it, the scale will most likely tip in favor of the captain leaving the Gateway to the North.
