NHL Rumors: Top insider provides latest on Connor McDavid's Oilers future, contract talk 'deadline'

Connor McDavid’s future with the Edmonton Oilers remains a big topic in the NHL. The Oilers’ captain is in the seventh year of an eight-year, $100 million contract. His deal, signed in July 2017, carries a cap hit of $12.5 million per season and ends after the 2025-26 season. Starting July 1, 2025, McDavid can sign an extension with Edmonton, but no talks have started yet.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson said there’s no urgency to start negotiations. So, while talking to TSN's Gino Reda, LeBrun compared it to Leon Draisaitl’s situation last year.

"It’s similar to the path, I think, we saw with Leon Draisaitl last year in which Draisaitl wanted to focus on hockey and the season before getting into it after the year," LeBrun said. "That’s the sense we get now with Connor McDavid. There’s no hurry to get into this."

Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $112 million extension in September. With a $14 million annual cap hit, it is the highest in NHL history.

LeBrun mentioned that the focus for now is on the current season, and talks will happen when the time is right.

"There’s a season to play out, there’s a focus on getting the Oilers back to the Stanley Cup Final, and then everyone involved is comfortable having that conversation," LeBrun said.

"One thing that Jeff Jackson re-iterated is, July 1 is not a deadline. Whether an extension gets done July 1 or later in the summer, so be it. Everyone should calm down and Oilers nation should realize it’ll get done when it gets done."

Despite his success, McDavid and the Oilers (16-10-2) are still chasing a Stanley Cup. They came close in 2024 but lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Finals.

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Connor McDavid is on track for eighth 100 point season

Connor McDavid is having another strong season in 2024-25. In 25 games, he has scored 14 goals and added 24 assists, for 38 points. His importance to the Oilers is clear. In their 14 wins, he has 11 goals and 19 assists. In their 11 losses, he has just 3 goals and 5 assists. This shows how much the team relies on him to win games.

Over his career, Connor McDavid has been remarkably consistent. In 670 games, he has 349 goals and 671 assists, for a total of 1,020 points. McDavid has scored over 100 points in seven different seasons, recording 153 points in the 2022-23 NHL season. This season he has also reached the one thousand points milestone, placing him among Sidney Crsoby and Alex Ovechkin, etc.