The Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of commencing training camp on Wednesday ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season, and the focus remains on Connor McDavid, who is now entering the final year of his contract.
Although there is concern in Alberta that No. 97 didn't put pen to paper on an extension this summer, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun provided an interesting update in his latest column.
“The idea that the puck would drop on the regular season and McDavid still would not have signed? I can’t say I would have predicted that as a real possibility back then. But given what we’re hearing now, it’s obviously feasible,” the hockey insider reported on Wednesday.
“It’s also true McDavid may still extend before puck drop next month. That’s what the Oilers are hoping. They remain confident they will get him signed to an extension at some point. I think everyone involved is comfortable with the idea that if and when an extension happens, it’ll be of a shorter term — not eight years. Whether that’s two, three or four years, we shall see.”
Multiple reports have speculated that McDavid would prefer a shorter term deal rather than a max extension, although it looks like all options remain on the table with opening night just three weeks away.
Despite the uncertainty, LeBrun believes that negotiations between player and club remain “cordial.”
“McDavid’s agent, Judd Moldaver, negotiated a four-year extension for fellow superstar Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so there’s a track record there,” he wrote. “But I also think it’s important to note an important aspect of these ongoing discussions, which again Tuesday were described to me by league sources as very cordial and ongoing: This isn’t a financial back-and-forth. It remains very much a philosophical discussion between the parties.”
Connor McDavid has been eligible to sign since July
McDavid's current contract, which carries a $12.5 million AAV, is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign. He's been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, although the superstar Canadian made it clear earlier in the offseason he was in no rush.
While the longer he remains unsigned, the more concern there will be, LeBrun does believe McDavid will be sticking around in Alberta past just this year.
“I do think the likeliest scenario remains that McDavid will extend at some point on a shorter-term or medium-term deal, but I can’t tell you when exactly that will happen because the most important person in that decision hasn’t decided yet,” the hockey insider asserted.
“Once McDavid green-lights Moldaver to enter the financial bargaining, that will take five minutes. The Oilers have no choice but to sign off on whatever McDavid and Moldaver bring to them. Until then, Oilers management, as general manager Stan Bowman told me earlier this month, remains patient in the process and is going out of its way not to put any pressure on McDavid.”
With Kirill Kaprizov already reportedly turning down a historic $128 million contract extension, the sky is truly the limit for McDavid's next deal. It's now up to him whether he chooses to remain with the only NHL franchise he's ever played for.
