Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid recently spoke at a press conference days after his team lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers for the second year in a row. He was asked multiple questions about his future, with unrestricted free agency looming in the summer of 2026 if he doesn`t reach a contract extension agreement with the Oilers.
The Edmonton media sought any indication that McDavid was committed to the organization and the city, but he was reserved. Someone asked if he felt a sense of unfinished business with his teammates after coming so close to winning the Cup, losing in seven games to Florida last season and in six games this year.
“This core has been together for a long time and we`ve been building towards this moment all along. The work that`s gone on behind the scenes, the conversations, the endless disappointments and some good times along the way, obviously. We`re all in this together, trying to get it over that finish line,” McDavid stated.
Then came four words that significantly impacted the city.
“With that being said,” McDavid continued, “ultimately, I still need to do what`s best for me and my family. That`s who you have to take care of first.”
This was the first time McDavid hinted at any hesitation regarding his future in Edmonton. He is entering the final season of the eight-year, $100 million contract he signed in July 2017. Many people assumed an extension with the Oilers – expected to be the richest contract in NHL history – would be signed as soon as he became eligible on July 1. However, McDavid is unlikely to sign that extension unless he is comfortable with the progress Edmonton makes in improving its roster for the upcoming season and beyond.
“I`m not in a rush to make any decision, so I don`t think there needs to be any timeline,” McDavid said. “I know people are going to look at July 1 and will be looking to see if there`s anything done. But for me, no, I`m just not in a rush in that way.”
An NHL source indicated that, currently, McDavid is not committed to staying with the Oilers beyond next season. But he is also not committed to leaving the organization that drafted him first overall in 2015.
“He`s trying to find reasons to stay, not to leave,” the source commented. “But everything`s on the table for Connor right now.”
IF MCDAVID DOESN`T RE-SIGN with the Oilers, it would be a moment without precedent in the history of NHL free agency. Never before has a generational talent – holding multiple MVP awards and scoring titles – reached unrestricted free agency while in his prime.
There might not be a comparable moment in North American professional sports since LeBron James and “The Decision” in 2010 – although, considering what fans and players have been chanting about McDavid after the Panthers` second Stanley Cup victory over Edmonton, it`s unlikely McDavid will be taking his talents to South Beach.
With winning the Stanley Cup being his primary goal, the number of teams McDavid would consider signing with is limited. There has been speculation about the Ontario native potentially returning home to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are still chasing their first Stanley Cup since 1967; that he could join former Oilers GM Ken Holland with the Los Angeles Kings; that the New York Rangers could make him the focal point in Manhattan while addressing their goaltending concerns with Igor Shesterkin; or that well-managed franchises like the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, and Tampa Bay Lightning could make their case.
McDavid is under contract with Edmonton for the 2025-26 season. That list of potential teams could change during that time, depending on their own performance and roster situations.
After Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $112 million deal last summer – a contract that keeps him in Edmonton until 2033 – many assumed McDavid`s extension would be a simple formality. After all, why would Draisaitl sign without some assurance that his close friend and frequent linemate McDavid would do the same?
However, sources told ESPN in January that one signing was not necessarily an indicator of the other, and that McDavid would make his decision independently of Draisaitl`s.
But make no mistake: Draisaitl is a factor in McDavid`s decision. So are defenseman Evan Bouchard, forward Zach Hyman, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and every other core player expected to be in Edmonton for the next few seasons. As McDavid mentioned, the core has been through playoff battles together, and he feels a sense of unfinished business in Edmonton.
“We were two games away from winning. Last year, we were two shots away from winning, so the belief is incredibly high in that room,” he stated. “We talked about that all throughout the playoffs, and we do believe that this group can win and will win.”
Despite that belief, McDavid wants to understand the team`s plan for winning in both the short and long term. This is a crucial part of his decision-making process regarding staying in Edmonton.
He wants to know how a team with just over $10 million in cap space, limited draft capital, and the 30th-ranked prospect pool can make the necessary moves to overcome the championship hurdle and remain competitive. Last summer, the pool of young players became thinner when forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Phillip Broberg were acquired by the St. Louis Blues via offer sheets.
McDavid acknowledged that thin prospect pool during his press conference. “It`s not like we have a ton of cap room and we`ve got a long list of highly touted prospects knocking on the door,” he said.
McDavid reiterated: “If I feel that there`s a good window to win here over and over again, then signing is no problem.”
GM Stan Bowman didn`t necessarily agree that convincing McDavid about the Oilers` winning window was more vital than meeting his asking price during negotiations.
“I don`t know if you have to sell one thing any more than another,” he commented.
But Bowman knows that assuring McDavid of Edmonton`s continued commitment to winning is paramount. When he was hired to replace Holland last summer, Bowman met with McDavid, who told him he wanted to win the Stanley Cup.
“That was it. We didn`t talk about anything else. This is his singular focus,” Bowman said.
“I guess it`s my job to connect with Connor and demonstrate that`s what we`re all trying to do. We all have the same objective. I know how passionate he is about winning. It`s what I love about him,” he stated. “He`s not just a fantastic hockey player, but he`s a great person, a great leader, and he`s incredibly motivated to do whatever it takes.”
IF MCDAVID ULTIMATELY RE-SIGNS with the Oilers, what he hears from Bowman could influence the length of that contract. There is increasing belief that McDavid might not sign an eight-year extension like Draisaitl, but could explore something in the three to five-year range. This would allow him to attempt to finish the “unfinished business” with the current core in Edmonton, while reaching UFA status in his early 30s as the NHL salary cap is projected to continue its record-setting increase.
Another reason to consider this possibility is Judd Moldaver, Executive Vice President at Wasserman and McDavid`s agent. He was the first NHL agent in the salary cap era to pursue contracts for superstar clients with significantly less than the maximum term. He has negotiated shorter deals than eight years for Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, with a five-year agreement in 2019 and a four-year agreement signed in 2023, as well as Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski (six years, signed in 2021). He might aim for a similar approach with McDavid.
Matthews had the league`s highest salary cap hit ($13.25 million average annual value) before Draisaitl`s contract ($14 million AAV) begins next season.
McDavid is almost certain to surpass that figure. His next contract – regardless of its length – is expected to range between $15.5 million and $19 million per year on a maximum deal, according to multiple sources who spoke with ESPN. Any amount above Draisaitl`s cap hit would establish a new NHL record for the highest average annual value in the salary cap era.
The financial aspect will likely resolve itself. This is Connor McDavid, the player with three Hart trophies as NHL MVP, a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and five scoring titles. In theory, contract negotiations with McDavid are essentially the general manager asking him how much he needs and then writing the check.
However, McDavid has stated that the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup is more important than his bank account.
“Winning would be at the top of the list,” he said. “It`s the most important thing.”
The Oilers are confident that, after reaching the Stanley Cup Final twice, they offer McDavid the best chance at winning. But they also provide the comfort of being the only NHL team he has ever known.
McDavid and his wife, Lauren Kyle McDavid, own a house in Edmonton`s Parkview area that was featured by Architectural Digest. Kyle McDavid also recently helped open the stylish Bar Trove in Edmonton, which includes Trove Living, a retail home furnishing store on the floor above it. Her company, Kyle & Co. Design, is located on the third floor of the building.
Given his history with the team and his established life in the city, the Oilers are optimistic but patient with McDavid.
“He`s earned the right for us to be respectful of his timing. Certainly, we`re eager to meet with him whenever he wants, but we also understand that he just went through a very tough ending to the season,” Bowman said.
Last year, Leon Draisaitl did not sign his extension until September 3.
“Timing-wise, Connor is going to drive that process, but there`s no question he`s a pivotal player on our team not just for what he does on the ice, but his leadership,” Bowman stated. “I`ve had a chance to work with him now and I`ve been just so impressed with things you guys probably don`t see. He`s incredibly important to our group and whenever he`s ready, we`re going to dive into that.”
Towards the end of his press conference, a local reporter asked McDavid for a message to the fans – those who have been on this journey with the Oilers during his tenure. The ones “wanting to see what exactly happens with your future here” in Edmonton, as the question was phrased.
“My message to the fans would be to keep being patient and keep believing. They`ve been through a lot, just like our team has. The emotional highs, the lows. I look at what these playoff runs do to my family. It`s hard on them. It`s hard on the fans. It`s hard on everybody. But ultimately when that day comes, it`ll all be worth it,” he said. “These moments are tough now. But when that moment comes, it`ll be worth the wait for sure.”
The message was neither a fervent commitment to remain in Edmonton nor a declaration that his bags are packed for free agency. The message was that a championship would make all the postseason heartbreak worthwhile. As the NHL offseason begins, where McDavid might eventually achieve that championship remains, at this moment, uncertain.
