HIGHLIGHTS
- Connor McDavid spoke on a potential extension with the Oilers
- The superstar is in no rush to put pen to paper after Stanley Cup loss
- Read below to see what he had to say
The Edmonton Oilers fell short of winning the Stanley Cup once again, losing to the Florida Panthers in six games on Tuesday night.
The franchise now heads into a crucial offseason, where it will be looking to extend superstar Connor McDavid, who is set to play in the final year of his contract in 2025-26. However, the three-time Hart Trophy winner is in no rush to put pen to paper, and his comments on Thursday hang a doubt over his Oilers future.
Via TSN:
“It’s only been a couple days since the season ended,” McDavid told reporters at the team’s season-ending availability. “Take some time to regroup. Talk to my agent a little bit, and family and all that, and make some decisions whenever that time comes. But there’s no rush.”
McDavid insists winning is the No. 1 priority, and he made it clear he must do what’s best for him:
“Winning would be at the top of the list,” McDavid said. “It’s the most important thing. If I feel that there’s a good window to win here, over and over again, then signing is no problem.
“We’re holding this together, trying to get it over the finish line,” McDavid added of falling just short once again. “With that being said, ultimately still need to do what’s best for me and my family, and that’s who you have to take care of first.”
The Oilers have lost back-to-back Cups to Florida, and there’s definitely a sense of frustration for McDavid, who is considered the best player in the world. The veteran would hit free agency in 2026 if he didn’t re-sign, but Edmonton has reiterated that locking up their franchise cornerstone is extremely important.
Free agency officially opens on July 1. That being said, McDavid doesn’t believe he needs to make a decision by then:
“It’s only been a couple of days. I’m sure we’ll get into it over the course of the next couple of weeks, but I’m not in a rush to make any decision, so I don’t think that there needs to be any timeline. I know people are going to look at that July 1 day and be looking to see if there’s anything done. But for me, I’m just not in a rush that way.”
McDavid had another electric season, registering 100 points. He also surpassed 30 points in the playoffs for the third time in his career, joining an exclusive group with Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to do so multiple times in the postseason.
The centre inked an eight-year, $100 million contract in 2017. Leon Draisaitl signed a mammoth eight-year, $112 million deal last fall but it remains to be seen if his co-star will be around for the long haul.
