Connor McDavid met the media on Tuesday ahead of Team Canada’s Olympic Orientation Camp, and right off the bat, he was asked about where his contract extension stood with the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid’s response was like his answer in June after the Oilers lost in the Stanley Cup Final: he is going to take his time and not rush into anything.
NHL Thought of the Day
Let the Overreaction to Connor McDavid’s Comments about His Future Begin #letsgooilers pic.twitter.com/FRtXsG1f2Y
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) June 19, 2025
“I said at the end of June, I had every intention just to take my time with it, and I still feel the same way, take my time and go through everything,” McDavid told the assembled media in Calgary. “And, I have every intention to win in Edmonton. That’s my only focus, maybe next to winning the gold medal with Canada, but it is my intention to win there.”
NHL Rumors: The Latest on Rasmus Andersson and the Calgary Flames
Not only is McDavid taking his time, but he is also reviewing all the options laid out ahead of him with his family and agent. And it is a process. Perhaps slower than some would like, as NHL training camps are set to open in a couple of weeks. But he wants to make sure he can win in Edmonton, as his intentions are.
McDavid was eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. It was a lock, possibly as early as last year, that when July 1st, 2025, arrived, McDavid and the Oilers would announce an extension. However, following his remarks in June, the process continues.
It is worth noting that Leon Draisaitl, who was eligible to sign an extension last off-season (July 1, 2024), did not sign his eight-year contract extension until September 3rd. The expectation is that McDavid could do the same thing this year once Team Canada’s Olympic Orientation Camp concludes.
Connor McDavid is entering the final year of his contract, which pays him $12.5 million per season. The belief is that he will make somewhere between $16 million and $18 million on his next deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Whether that is a mid or long-term deal remains to be seen. However, he could also take a short-term contract.
Who Should Team USA Select: Matthew Knies or Jack Hughes?
We are hearing that Connor McDavid & the @EdmontonOilers will agree to a contract extension by or on September 3rd (Leon extension date last year)
3 to 4 years at $16M AAV is what we are hearing as of today does that change between now & then…..let’s see.#LetsGoOilers #NHL
— 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast (@2MuttsHockeyPod) August 23, 2025
As McDavid told the media in Calgary, all options are on the table.
“I would say all options are on the table, really. You know, as I said, we’re going through it. I don’t have a preference either way,” McDavid told the media.
But Connor McDavid understands, as the captain of the Oilers, that his contract situation and status have the potential to be a distraction. So he wants the focus to be on the team and their goals. Not only is it McDavid’s goal, but the goal of the Edmonton Oilers is to go back to the Stanley Cup Final and complete the job, hoisting the Stanley Cup.
“I want the group to be as focused, dialled in, and ready to roll come day one as possible. And we don’t need any distractions. So, yeah, as I said, taking my time with it, and that’s it,” McDavid told the media.
NHL Rumors: Connor McDavid Just Needs to Decide When Contract Extension Talks Begin
It will be interesting to see what type of deal Connor McDavid gets in the end with the Edmonton Oilers. However, there is a strong belief, especially among Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson, that discussions will begin and a deal will be finalized, as he told Jeff Marek on the Sheet on Daily Faceoff.
“I think that when Connor is ready… we’ll have the discussion and we’ll get a deal done,” Jackson said.
So with the attitude and mindset McDavid has, he could be following in the footsteps of Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and his friend Leon Draisaitl and signing that deal right before training camp opens. Because if it lingers, the questions will only mount unless McDavid addresses it on day one of training camp, and that’s it.
However, expectations are that he will sign sooner rather than later.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.
