All summer long, the Edmonton Oilers had one massive mission: to get superstar center Connor McDavid re-signed before the puck drops on the new season. But with the regular season a week away, McDavid is yet to put pen to paper.
While the Oilers are ready to throw any kind of money to keep him in Edmonton, McDavid’s vague comments have raised questions over what’s the real reason behind the holdup.
But one former teammate is of the opinion that Oilers fans have very little to worry about.
Former Teammate Confident Connor McDavid Isn’t Going Anywhere
The Oilers management and GM Stan Bowman have been trying their best to get McDavid to sign the contract extension since he became eligible to re-sign on July 1. But the Oilers captain has made it clear that he will take his time before committing to another contract.
In a recent interview, McDavid deflected contract questions entirely, insisting his sole focus remains the upcoming season. His noncommittal stance has sparked hope across the NHL, with fans league-wide now dreaming their franchise could land hockey’s biggest prize next summer.
However, on the latest episode of “The Reid Wilkins Show,” former teammate Luke Gazdic joined host Wilkins to give his take on McDavid’s contract negotiations.
He believes that the center will stay in Edmonton for the foreseeable future. When Wilkins asked Gazdic if he was concerned about McDavid leaving the Oilers, the former winger simply replied, “He’s not going anywhere. I don’t like it. I say that openly. He’s not going anywhere. It’s pretty clear to see what he’s doing, though.”
Luke Gazdic gives his thoughts on the McDavid contract negotiations👀@ReidWilkins @lukegazdic pic.twitter.com/AVw6pV38eU
— Edmonton Sports Talk (@yegsportstalk) September 28, 2025
Gazdic, who had played with McDavid back during the center’s rookie season in 2015 and was even his roommate back then, firmly believes that he is here to stay. “He’s in a position of power. I just don’t think there’s any rush for him,” Gazdic told Wilkins.
He continued, “I look at other situations around the league. You’re not hearing stories every week coming out of Vegas. [Jack] Eichel’s up, [Artemi] Panarin’s up, and now you’re hearing that Kaprizov’s up. But there is a long list of guys, and you can bet that they are staring at each other.”
Gazdic is keenly aware that McDavid is not the only superstar who will be a free agent next year. Other big names like Eichel and Panarin are all waiting to make their decision and instead observing what numbers the others get.
“It’s like the Spider-Man meme, like, who’s going to go first, because I think Connor wants to set a bar for the league. He’s very, very player-forward. He wants to get salaries up, I know,” Gazdic said.
But he also believes that the team won’t be able to pay McDavid his full worth. “The Oilers probably can’t afford to pay him 20 sheets or whatever he’s probably worth on the market. I just think it’s probably one of the more complicated contracts that’s going to be signed here, maybe ever, honestly.”
However, while experts and fans alike are wondering about the implications of McDavid’s decision next summer, the center himself is perfectly content with just focusing on winning the Stanley Cup this time around.
