With each passing day that the Edmonton Oilers and superstar team captain Connor McDavid aren’t able to come to an agreement on a new contract beyond the upcoming 2025-26 NHL Season, the worry factor for Oilers fans continues to rise.
McDavid is preparing to enter the final season of the eight-year, $100 million contract that carries a $12.5 million salary cap hit, and has led the Oilers to consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, though they would fall short on both occasions.
Is Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson Not Concerned About Connor McDavid’s Contract Status?
While fans of the Oilers are understandably nervous about the thought of McDavid, the current best player in the NHL, departing and playing for another franchise, the Oilers’ management team, led by CEO and President of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson, is anything but concerned.
“I know there are sort of lots of commentary on the fact that Connor is not yet signed and why he hasn’t signed yet,” Jackson recently said on the “Oilers Now” show. “(Oilers general manager) Stan [Bowman] and I, and (owner) Daryl Katz and the rest of the management group, we don’t feel that way, we’re not nervous about it.
“Connor’s been an Oiler for 10 years. He’s done a lot of playing in Edmonton and living in Edmonton. He’s been very public about his desire to win and that’s sort of driving his decision-making.”
McDavid has spent his entire NHL career with the Oilers, who made him the first overall selection in the 2015 NHL Draft. He became eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1 earlier this summer, but hasn’t done so.
“I said at the end of June I had every intention to take my time with it and I still feel the same way,” McDavid said. “I’ll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton. It’s my only focus, maybe next to winning a gold medal with Canada. I’ll take my time going through it with my family, my agent and everybody involved. We’re going through it slowly.”
Since Edmonton’s most recent setback in the Stanley Cup Final, they re-signed defenseman Evan Bouchard to a new contract with a $10.5 million salary cap hit. This, combined with Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million cap hit, means that the Oilers could soon have over $40 million in salary dedicated to just three players if and when McDavid signs a new deal.
