No. 97 is sticking with the Oilers through 2027-28 — with a wide range of downstream impacts around the NHL.
Connor McDavid responded to months of speculation by signing a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Notice how we didn’t say that he „ended“ that speculation: McDavid’s contract, which carries an extremely team-friendly $12.5 million average annual value, is only for two years beyond this one, meaning the best hockey player in the world could still become the most coveted free agent in NHL history in summer 2028.
But if you’re the Oilers, you’re taking the glass half-full approach. Or more to the point, (Stanley) Cup half-full: Connor McDavid has at least three more chances to bring the first championship since 1990 to Edmonton.
As with any significant decision in the NHL, there are winners and there are losers.
Here’s the fallout from Connor McDavid’s new contract:
Since it’s only a two-year extension, McDavid will have a slew of questions about why he chose that term and what it means for his ultimate future in Edmonton. But then after those questions are asked and answered, McDavid will focus on winning a Stanley Cup in Edmonton and a gold medal for Canada this season without being burdened with speculation. With this season and then two more, those questions can wait until at least Sept. 2027.
This deal was done before the first puck was dropped on the NHL season, and one has to assume Connor wanted it that way.
With McDavid’s contract situation settled, the entirety of the rumor mill will now focus on Sidney Crosby’s future with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It’s a topic that Crosby’s already sick of discussing, but one that’ll grow in volume with each Penguins loss — and the pundits are predicting a lot of Penguins losses this season.
At least McDavid’s pending unrestricted free agency lured some of that spotlight away from Sid. Now, he’s the primary fuel source for this season’s rumor industry.
When Oilers fans would say that McDavid wasn’t going anywhere, it sounded more aspirational than emphatic.
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Maybe this season would be the last shot. Maybe he desired to play for one of the NHL’s glamour franchises, or one that he felt had a longer contention window than Edmonton’s.
Visions of teary-eyed press conferences of the past filled their memories, like that time the other greatest player in franchise history ended up being The Great One in Los Angeles — heck, the Kings were even one of the teams that had the cap space ready for Connor next summer.
But he chose Edmonton. Not for the long term — at least not now — but he chose Edmonton. To continue living there. To continue playing there. Because he wanted to bring a championship there.
No McDavid rumor mill. No McDavid free-agency frenzy. No McDavid arriving in New York or Dallas or Los Angeles or Tampa Bay or (gasp) Toronto to elevate those teams into immediate Stanley Cup favorite status. No hearing the faint sounds of the „Imperial March“ as we tuned in to watch McDavid taking his talents from Edmonton to the highest bidder.
Yes, the smart money was always on him staying in Edmonton. It doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t be a little bummed that he left all that fun on the table — along with over $100 million in free-agent riches.
