Connor McDavid has never been one to reveal much through the media or in an interview. The 28-year-old is rather stoic and private, at least from what we see on the outside.
That was no different on Wednesday when McDavid and his fellow Canadian teammates, Sidney Crosby and Sam Reinhart, took questions from the media amid their Olympic orientation camp in Calgary.
It didn’t take long for the conversation to shift from Team Canada to Connor McDavid’s contract situation, which is currently the focus of the hockey world. Not often does the best player in the world enter the season as a pending UFA, but that could be the case here as McDavid approaches the final year of his eight-year, $100 million contract with the Oilers.
Many have believed an extension would inevitably come this summer, just as it did with his partner in crime, Leon Draisaitl, last offseason. But McDavid is different, and he remained noncommittal on Wednesday, which for the first time has sparked real questions about his future in Edmonton.
Insider Elliotte Friedman is more tuned in than anyone in hockey, and after digesting it all, he shared his thoughts in an article for Sportsnet.
“In the wake of Edmonton’s second consecutive Stanley Cup defeat to Florida, several people who know the Oilers captain much better than I do say he is even more consumed with winning — if that was even possible. Getting so close without lifting the Holy Grail didn’t quench the fire. It created even more hunger. That’s what this is about,” Friedman wrote.
“McDavid must be convinced the Oilers will continue to be a serious Stanley Cup contender. Any team with he and Leon Draisaitl are high on the list of challengers. But it takes a village, and he wants to see a strong foundation for years to come. The Oilers don’t see it differently, and everything they’ve done over the past few years is about winning. But, until McDavid signs, there’s something imperfect in his eyes, whether effective youth or strong enough goaltending or something else,” Friedman added.
Connor McDavid: https://t.co/08ywQaPm21
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 27, 2025
McDavid has achieved and produced just about everything at the NHL level; all that’s left for him to do is win a Stanley Cup.
Next season’s start could be make or break for the Oilers
If Connor McDavid does, in fact, start the 2025-26 season without a contract extension, the Edmonton Oilers will face an enormous amount of pressure to start strong.
This team has had issues coming flat out of the gates to start seasons, something we’ve seen firsthand quite recently. But that can’t happen this time around, because the future of the franchise could be hanging in the balance.
Should the Oilers win games, the goaltending be solid, and they seem poised to once again contend for the cup, then all is well. However, that’s easier said than done, and if things go the other way, then the noise around McDavid’s future is going to reach a fever pitch.
