NHL News: Oilers' Jeff Jackson sets record straight on Connor McDavid's new deal saga in Edmonton

Days continue to pass, yet Connor McDavid still hasn’t reached an extension agreement with the Edmonton Oilers. Now, CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson has broken his silence with an honest statement. With the 2025-26 NHL season around the corner, the clock’s ticking.

While many are growing anxious in Edmonton about McDavid’s future, calm still prevails within the organization. The Oilers are confident they will come to terms with McDavid and the drama will be put behind them.

But as time goes on, the tension keeps building. McDavid’s current deal expires at the end of the 2025-26 NHL campaign, and the Oilers hope to avoid him entering a contract year. On that note, Jeff Jackson shared a straightforward update on where negotiations stand in Edmonton.

“There’s a sort of comfort with Connor [McDavid]. He’s been in Edmonton for 10 years, he loves playing for this team. The team is a good team. I think the conversation would be a lot different if we were struggling,” Jeff Jackson said, via On the Road with Jeff Marek.

Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers during the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition at FLA Live Arena.

“We’ve been right there for two seasons in a row. So, Connor feels good about all that. It’s not going to be a long negotiation. It will be unlike any other negotiation, because it’s not really [one]. I think that when Connor is ready, we’ll have the discussion and we’ll get a deal done.”

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Been here before, and worse

While the Oilers would like for the drama to be shutdown immediately with an extension being signed, they aren’t overly concerned. At the end of the day, Edmonton has faced a similar situation last summer when Leon Draisaitl was up for a new deal. Jackson believes the Oilers were hardened by that experience.

“Last year, when Leon [Draisaitl] had another year left and we wanted to extend him, it seemed like there was a lot more pressure and media talk. It was a little bit [noisier than McDavid],” Jackson admitted. “I tried to tap that down… Sure enough, we got a deal done early September with [Draisaitl], and I’m super happy about that. I feel it’s the same with McDavid.”

Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on May 24, 2022 in Edmonton, Canada.

One last stop before being back home

According to reports around the NHL, McDavid’s extension with the Oilers may not be delayed much longer. After spending the summer abroad in Europe, McDavid will soon return to Alberta—though first to Calgary, where Team Canada will host its National Teams Orientation Camp from August 26–28.

Once the camp concludes, McDavid will head back to Edmonton. Most reports suggest it will only be a matter of hours before an extension is signed and the buzz is silenced. The only question is how long the peace will last. If McDavid’s new contract isn’t long-term, chaos could erupt sooner rather than later.

“I would expect after Connor McDavid is done there and he goes back up to Edmonton, they will work on getting this done,” insider Elliotte Friedman said, via 32 Thoughts. “I just think everybody wants to get it done, so I would expect between the Olympic camp and training camp, they sit down and say ‘How’s this all going to look?’”