The Edmonton Oilers had it tough this offseason. But even though they are yet to find a solution for their goaltending struggles, recent reports have suggested that star forward Connor McDavid will soon be signing a contract extension.
Even though rumors have suggested that this will not be a full deal, it is still great news for the Oilers, who have been totally dependent on McDavid. CEO Jeff Jackson has even set the record straight that negotiations won’t take long.
Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson Believes Contract Negotiations With Connor McDavid Won’t Be Long
While there was much unspoken tension in the Oilers’ cap regarding McDavid’s contract extension, multiple insiders have since confirmed that the center will be re-signing. CEO Jackson is confident that the subsequent negotiations will not take long.
On the recent episode of “The Sheet with Jeff Marek,” host Marek revealed the talk he had with Jackson earlier regarding McDavid. And Jackson mentioned, “It’s disappointing as it has been to not win. We’ve been right there for two years in a row.”
Jackson continued, “And I think, although we’ve made changes this summer, I think we have a really good team again. And obviously, Connor feels good about all that.” He mentioned that last year, they were in a similar situation with center Leon Draisaitl.
He said that while they wanted to extend his deal, there was a lot more pressure and media talk. “I tried to tamp that down last June when we were in the Finals,” Jackson mentioned. He mentioned how everyone was pressuring him to re-sign him right away.
Jackson continued, “I was like, ‘I’m not sure what you’re talking about; he has another year, and he loves playing in Edmonton.'” He mentioned that they soon signed an extension with Draisaitl in September, and he believes the same will happen with McDavid.
Jackson said, “I sort of feel it’s the same with Connor. It’s not going to be a long negotiation… I think that it won’t be; it will be unlike any other sort of negotiation, because it’s not really. And I think that when Connor is ready, we’ll have the discussion, and we’ll get a deal done.”
While the duration of the deal has yet to be determined, NHL insider John Shannon has put the number at a three or four-year deal. He also mentioned that McDavid will take advantage of the rising cap-space situation.
MORE: Insider Underlines What Will Be The Bone of Contention In Oilers’ Negotiations With Connor McDavid
Critics have estimated his new deal to be in the $17 to $18 million range. This will be nearly 20 percent of the Oilers’ cap space, but Shannon also mentioned that McDavid will leave the Oilers some space to maneuver.
The re-signing is expected to happen sometime later this month after the Olympic Orientation camp and before the start of training camp in September.
