How will the Edmonton Oilers retain Connor McDavid? With all the heat from the cup bid, contract discussions gain momentum
For the last few weeks, Connor McDavid has been at the center of NHL headlines, either for elite on-ice performance or for the uncertainty of his next contract. As the Edmonton Oilers try to pick themselves up once again after a Stanley Cup failure, the attention turns sharply toward the franchise's greatest asset.
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With just a year left on his current contract, McDavid's future will soon be moving from wild speculation to serious negotiations, with nothing being higher-staked on the long-term aspirations of Edmonton.
Contract projections soar for McDavid amid rising cap and playoff frustration, with much speculation
The Oilers have enjoyed the brilliance of McDavid for nearly a decade, with the question now being for how much longer they can keep their generational star before his current contract of eight years and $100 million comes to an end, a contract signed in 2017, and discussions have begun to get serious concerning the next.
He has never gone after the highest dollar; however, things on the financial front change faster each day.
NHL's upcoming $95.5 million salary cap jump lends every forecast an added dimension.
The insiders have said that he can get paid more than he is getting. Even though his highest salary would probably be estimated at around $19 million per season, McDavid's track record points to him accepting a little less money for the sake of providing some flexibility to his team.
Draisaitl, his teammate, is locked at $14 million per annum, making it an inescapable precedent for management to steer through.
The problems of the Oilers are not only about contracts. McDavid dazzled again in the 2024-25 campaign, hitting 100 points for a second consecutive time but having to settle for a pitiable showing under unfamiliar circumstances. Again, dueling with Draisaitl for production in the postseason, in the Finals, the goal tallies evaded McDavid, with the Floridians' defense stifling the top weapons of Edmonton, and the Oilers lacked a little more punch in the secondary to make a difference.
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What this postseason displayed was the dependence of Edmonton on its two superstars. The core should have been talented but expensive, including names like Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Darnell Nurse. Should McDavid's next deal command a higher share of the cap, the front office will be forced to get creative in putting a championship-caliber team around him.
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Connor McDavid's next contract is going to be a defining moment for himself and the Edmonton Oilers. While the extortionate numbers will make all those ridiculous headlines, the real test will be whether those dollars really could now go on to deliver McDavid a Stanley Cup. So while it's legacy for McDavid on the line, for Edmonton, it's running out of time to put together a team that can finally bring it home.
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