The Edmonton Oilers are heading into training camp looking for revenge after losing the Stanley Cup Final again. They already signed one of their big-name forwards, but another contract situation is lingering as the season draws near. Oilers star Leon Draisaitl already has his deal, and he was asked about Connor McDavid's contract situation.
“It’s not really for me to comment on. Of course, I want him here for as long as possible,” Draisaitl said, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest. “I want to do it with him, but it’s about him and his family, and they’re going to make their decision based on what’s best for them.”
‘I know he loves it here; I know he feels at home here, but there’s a lot of things that play into a decision like that,” Draisaitl continued. “Hopefully something gets reported soon.”
The Oilers locked in Draisaitl to an eight-year, $112 million deal. That pays him $14 million per year starting this season, which makes him the highest-paid player in the league. McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov are expected to blow that number out of the water before next July 1.
The Oilers re-made their depth this offseason, parting with Evander Kane, Viktor Arvidsson, and Jeff Skinner. They have brought in Isaac Howard and Andrew Mangiapane to try and add more scoring. The salary cap is exploding at the right time for Edmonton to keep its captain and build a team to contend with the Panthers.
While the contract situation plays out with McDavid, the Oilers start an important season for them. Their goaltending needs to improve, and they need another great season just to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. The season starts for the defending Western Conference champs on October 8 against the Calgary Flames. Will McDavid have a new deal by then?
