Oilers confident McDavid will stay beyond this season

EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers are not concerned about Connor McDavid leaving town.

In fact, general manager Stan Bowman believes it is only a matter of time before an agreement is reached on a contract that will ensure the Oilers captain remains in Edmonton beyond this season.

“I just go by what Connor said, and that’s that he wants nothing more than to win in Edmonton,” Bowman said Wednesday, the Oilers’ first day of training camp. “I take him at his word. He’s going through his own process, and you have to understand that and respect it, and I do. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”

McDavid is entering the final season of an eight-year, $100 million contract ($12.5 million average annual value). The 28-year-old center can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2026, if he does not sign a new contract with Edmonton, which has been able to re-sign McDavid since July 1.

“I realize that’s on everyone’s mind, the media and the fans, and it’s on our minds too,” Bowman said. “It’s one of those things where we’ve had multiple conversations, and he’s been very consistent with what he’s been saying to the media as well as to myself and we just kind of go from it from there.”

This will be McDavid’s 11th season with the Oilers after being the No. 1 pick at the 2015 NHL Draft. He’s led them to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers each time. Last season, Edmonton lost the best-of-7 series in six games; in 2024, it rallied from a 3-0 deficit to force Game 7, only to lose 2-1.

“When you’re trying to plan the next three, four, seven, nine years of your life, you don’t just dream it up in one day; you take your time, talk it over, think about it some more, talk it over again,” McDavid said Sept. 5. “It’s not something that I take lightly, it’s not something that my family takes lightly. I’ve put everything I have into my career, just like everybody here. You only get one chance to do it and to do it right and that leads to taking your time with it and that’s where it’s at.”

Bowman said the Oilers do not have to present a sales pitch to McDavid but need to assure him the championship window will remain open beyond this season. The Stanley Cup is one of the few trophies left for McDavid to win.

He’s won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leader in points five times (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023), the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the League’s leading goal-scorer once (2023), the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player three times (2017, 2021, 2023) the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA four times (2017, 2018, 2021, 2023), and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (2024).

In 712 regular-season games, he has 1,082 points (361 goals, 721 assists) and 150 points (44 goals, 106 assists) in 96 playoff games. McDavid had 100 points (26 goals, 74 assists) in 67 regular-season games and 33 points (seven goals, 26 assists) in 22 playoff games last season.

His potential departure would be a massive blow to the Oilers, who are looking to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1990.

“It’s hard, I get it, I understand that there is a lot of anxiety,” Bowman said. “I trust what Connor says. Really at the end of the day, when Connor says there’s nothing more that he wants than to win in Edmonton, I believe him. I don’t know why anyone else wouldn’t.

“He’s been consistent in saying that and I love hearing when he says that, that his singular focus [is] to win in Edmonton. For me, take it at face value and I have no reason to question him.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch does not expect McDavid’s contract status to be a distraction this season, which they’ll begin Oct. 8 against the Calgary Flames.

“You see Connor and everyone interacts with him as they’ve always done throughout his career,” Knoblauch said. “Obviously it’s a big story and you guys (media) have a lot to write about, but I think Connor’s earned the right to take his time, decide what he wants to do and what kind of details are important to him.”

The sentiment is shared among McDavid’s teammates, including some who are in a similar situation.

Forwards Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen, David Tomasek, Curtis Lazar, defensemen Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, Brett Kulak, Troy Stecher, and goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard can become unrestricted free agents after this season.

“I think he’s earned the right to wait until he’s comfortable,” Oilers forward Zach Hyman said. “He’s getting all the press because of who he is, but I would say the majority of guys play into their final contract year without an extension.

“Whatever [the] contract situation [is], that’s between him and management. As players, we don’t really think about it; we’re just trying to go in there and win this year. He’s been great. There’s been no distraction in our room.”