The Edmonton Oilers know the time is now to win, given the contractual status of their captain, Connor McDavid. McDavid signed a two-year extension ahead of the 2025-26 season at an AAV of $12.5 million. He put it on the management, General Manager Stan Bowman, to enhance the team as a way to win a Stanley Cup.
Nonetheless, it is evident the Oilers have gotten worse, not higher. As previously mentioned on NHLRumors.com, and as a running theme for the reason that start of the season, Edmonton just isn’t nearly as good as its 2025 Stanley Cup Final team, and is significantly worse than their 2024 Stanley Cup Final team, which lost in Game 7.
But even still, Connor McDavid stays committed to winning in Edmonton despite the noise surrounding him that he wants to go away. He made it clear on Saturday during his final media availability that he desires to win and win in Edmonton.
“I would like to win, and I would like to win here in Edmonton, that’s my focus,” McDavid said when asked about if he wants out if the Oilers don’t win a Stanley Cup in the following two seasons.
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Nonetheless, this query and narrative have now surrounded him, dating back to the eight-year deal he signed that was set to run out at the tip of this season. It seems the narrative is that getting the perfect players out of those markets so that they can win elsewhere is an actual thing, but McDavid made no bones about it: he desires to win the massive trophy.
“I’m not going to get into all of that,” McDavid added when asked what the team must do as a way to keep him beyond this contract. “The one thing that matters is competing for the massive trophy. That’s all that matters. And if I feel that that’s here, then yeah.”
The last part goes to be open to interpretation, especially regarding whether he feels it’s in Edmonton. And the narrative once more began about Connor McDavid leaving once the Oilers lost to the Anaheim Geese in six games in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The NHL on TNT Panel debated this topic, and while Henrik Lundqvist agreed it was a decent window, and Paul Bissonette didn’t need to comment on the elephant within the room, analyst Anson Carter believes the Edmonton Oilers have this 12 months to get things right with Connor McDavid still on the team before moving on from him.
“I’d probably give him a 12 months this 12 months, after which have to choose what they’re gonna do with Conor McDavid. I actually do,” Carter said on TNT following Game 6 vs the Geese. “I do know he signed a two-year deal. He’s not gonna make it for the complete two years if there isn’t a drastic improvement on this hockey team. I could see them moving Conor McDavid indubitably.”
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But Carter is true in regards to the window for the Oilers. Management and even the players, including Leon Draisaitl, who signed an eight-year extension to remain in Edmonton, know that is a vital summer for the club, as every move matters to maintain Connor McDavid long-term in Edmonton.
“Quite a bit. I mean, in what world do you might have the perfect player on the planet in your team and also you’re not seeking to win?” Draisaitl told the media on Saturday when asked about what the Oilers do to shape the remainder of McDavid’s time in Edmonton. “Like, I do know we’re seeking to win, but we must be higher. We now have to be higher. There’s no way around it. We now have to enhance. And he’s signed for 2 more years, and God knows where that goes, but we now have two years here straight away. As of straight away, we now have two years, and we now have to get significantly higher.”
McDavid and Leon Draisaitl called the team “average” and “not adequate following the loss in Game 6. GM Stan Bowman and head coach Kris Knoblauch agreed with those statements. Bowman understands McDavid desires to win. The organization as a complete desires to win as well, nevertheless it isn’t easy to be a contender yearly.
Nonetheless, it is evident this can be a big offseason for the Edmonton Oilers or else even greater changes and decisions might be coming next summer. Whether this narrative is being overblown or not is up for debate, nevertheless it isn’t going away.
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