The Edmonton Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final. And they are facing a familiar foe in the Florida Panthers. These teams hit the ice for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night. Before that, though, Edmonton's CEO had something to say about superstar captain Connor McDavid.

He has not had the same overwhelmingly dominant impact he did in 2024. McDavid is nowhere near the record-setting heights we saw against the Panthers last season. But he is still one of the best players in the world, and he has still had a significant impact on the Oilers. CEO Jeff Jackson spoke on the relationship between the organization and its captain before Game 1.

“He's everything to this organization, and he's everything to the fan base here. He's beloved, and he gives back a lot. He loves playing here. I know that it's a very comfortable place for him to play. He's treated very well by ownership, the staff, everyone,” Jackson told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.

“And he loves the staff, right through from the athletic trainers to equipment guys to everybody in between. You know Connor, he appreciates all of them. And they appreciate him because he treats everyone with respect. He's humble, and he brings that leadership element every single day. And you can't replace that.”

Oilers CEO discusses Connor McDavid contract talks

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) reacts after game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Edmonton has a lot on the line in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers seek revenge on the Panthers over how last year's Final played out. Edmonton fell behind 3-0 in the series before battling back to force Game 7. However, the Panthers won the deciding game 2-1.

Beyond that, there is pressure to win a Cup while McDavid is still a member of the Oilers. He is a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. Should he hit NHL Free Agency, he would command close to $20 million with a rising cap. Edmonton can extend him on July 1, 2025, though, and Jackson is making a new deal for the Oilers captain a priority.

“We're not into it yet, but I think once the season's over, if it goes any way, the way it did last year, now they we were fortunate to make it to the Final, then all of a sudden you're into the end of June; you're into the draft; you're into free agency.

“But yes, priority No. 1 would be to talk to Connor and his agents. And yeah, it's on everybody's radar for sure. But we're just leaving it for the time being as long as we're still playing,” the Oilers CEO said, via Zeisberger.

The Oilers and Panthers are set to kick off another intense Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday. Edmonton has a chance to bring a Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993. It may be their last chance to do so with Connor McDavid as the team captain.