Connor McDavid: “I expect him to sign a seven-year deal with Edmonton”

Félix Forget
Connor McDavid: “I expect him to sign a seven-year deal with Edmonton”
Credit: Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images

A few months ago, Connor McDavid signed a contract extension with the Oilers. That would normally have been great news… but the fact that he signed for only two years (at a low price) suggested he wanted to keep his options open in case things didn't work out in Edmonton.

He could have gone all out for an eight-year deal with the Oilers, after all… but he chose to sign a short-term, discounted contract instead.

And in the wake of the Oilers' recent first-round elimination, there was growing buzz about McDavid's future. He seemed frustrated at the end of the season… and people wondered if he intended to leave sooner rather than later.

Except that Bob Stauffer, who covers the Oilers in Edmonton, poured cold water on those rumors: he says that, in his opinion, no one is more committed to the Oilers than McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

And that's why Stauffer expects McDavid's next contract to be a seven-year deal… in Edmonton.

Obviously, it makes sense to wonder why McDavid didn't simply sign a long-term deal with the Oilers sooner if that was his intention. But it's possible he simply decided to take a short-term pay cut to try to win before going all in.

That scenario would explain the logic behind a short-term contract before another long-term deal, still in Edmonton.

But of course, we know that things can change in the next 13 months. McDavid can't sign his next contract until July 1, 2027, and perhaps another year of struggles in Edmonton could prompt him to look elsewhere.

Is Mike Babcock the right man for the job to prevent such a worst-case scenario? We'll find out in the coming months.


In a nutshell

– The towels are ready.

– Probably, yes.

– Anthony Mantha: A return to Pittsburgh seems unlikely.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!