Connor McDavid has the attention of the hockey world. As the best player in the league, he’s often in the limelight, though this time around, it’s not because of his dominance on the ice but rather his future in Edmonton.
The Oilers captain is currently poised to enter 2025-26 as a pending UFA in the final season of the eight-year, $100 million extension he signed back in 2017. He became eligible for a new extension on July 1, but two months have come and gone with nothing to show for it.
It’s been well documented how hungry McDavid is to win that elusive Stanley Cup, and because of that, he’s been quite noncommittal on rushing into a long-term decision. That’s generated real questions and concern for the first time ever that McDavid might actually be willing to leave Edmonton if he doesn’t feel they can get over the hump.
However, Oilers insider Bob Stauffer knows the team as well as anybody, and his recent comments should calm the fanbase down, for now. This was what he had to say when asked to put a percentage chance on McDavid extending in Edmonton.
“I’m at 102% McDavid signs,” Stauffer said.
“I’m at 102% McDavid signs” -Bob Stauffer
— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) September 2, 2025
The 28-year-old has spent his entire 10-year career as an Oiler, piling up ridiculous numbers with 1,082 points (361 goals, 721 assists) in just 712 games thus far.
This story won’t go away until McDavid signs
This is stating the obvious, but until Connor McDavid puts pen to paper on a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers, the rest of the league will be watching this situation like a hawk.
Some reports, like Stauffer’s, show confidence that McDavid is going nowhere, yet others are more worried the longer things continue to drag out.
Nobody truly knows where this is heading other than Connor McDavid himself and his family. There’s no harm for him to wait and see how the season goes, but the same can’t be said for Edmonton, which is where all of the drama lies.
