"He takes pride in what's been built here" - Ryan Rishaug sheds light on Connor McDavid's situation with the Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid had one of the best regular seasons in the NHL in a long time. However, his season was overshadowed by a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2 of the playoffs.

After the Edmonton Oilers' second-round playoff exit, fans have expressed concern about McDavid's situation with the team.TSN's Ryan Rishaug recently provided an update on the future of the Oilers captain.

According to Ryan Rishaug, Connor McDavid feels satisfied with the group and is proud of how far the Edmonton Oilers have come:

"Just a couple of days after the toughest loss of his career, probably most disappointing, where McDavid's head went when I asked him about the future being somewhat uncertain and his desire to win with this group, his head went to where, what they've built so far, you know, since the start of his career basically from scratch, as he put it and how much pride he takes in what's been built here in Edmonton."

He added:

"You know, he said to see it through with this core group. That's what it's all about. So, he might have felt this way all along, but for him to publicly express it the way he did today, I thought was somewhat telling."

Ryan Rishaug also stated that discussions about Connor McDavid's future with the club will pick up speed after the next season, citing Auston Matthews' contract negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs this year as an example.

"And those conversations are going to start after next season. That's when the real contract talks will begin because, you know, we also would have Auston Matthews this year in Toronto, that's Leon Draisaitl's side after next season, so for now, it'll stay fairly calm, but it gets complicated."

Connor McDavid's eight-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers is set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 NHL season. He'll become an unrestricted free agent at that point, allowing him to sign new contracts with other teams in the league.

If he decides to leave the Edmonton Oilers before that, there is no doubt that all 31 teams in the league will be eager to sign him.

Top destinations for Connor McDavid if he decides to leave the club

The Anaheim Ducks are in a rebuilding stage and they are one of the few teams with enough assets and cap space to make a trade work. Anaheim ended the 2022-23 season with over $13 million in cap space which is enough to absorb the $12.5 million McDavid makes.

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