The Edmonton Oilers are getting prepared to make another run to the Stanley Cup Final, but everyone is worried about the future of Connor McDavid on the team. With one year remaining on his contract, McDavid still has not signed an extension with the Oilers, leaving many wondering what could be next for him.
ESPN recently wrote a story that had a prediction for each team, and for the Oilers, they think that McDavid will sign a team-friendly, three-year extension.
“But I still think the smart money is on McDavid giving it another few years to win a Stanley Cup with Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton,” Greg Wyshynski wrote. “A three-year extension would mean his contract would be up in the same season as that of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. It puts a timer on GM Stan Bowman to build a championship roster around this core — which is why McDavid will sign a contract that allows that flexibility.”
McDavid has let it be known that he's not in a rush to sign an extension, and on the first day of training camp, general manager Stan Bowman said that he is taking the star player at his word.
“I just go by what Connor said, and that’s that he wants nothing more than to win in Edmonton,” Bowman said via NHL.com's Derek Van Diest. “I take him at his word. He’s going through his own process, and you have to understand that and respect it, and I do. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”
The Oilers have been in the Stanley Cup Finals for consecutive years, and they've been led by the strong play of McDavid. It's hard to predict if they can get back there without him, but they know that if he's on the team, there's a good chance they compete for a title.
