The Connor McDavid extension announcement was a breath of fresh air for the Edmonton Oilers and their fans. It was one of the big storylines haunting Oil Country this summer and threatened to bleed into the 2025-26 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season.
Thankfully, the Oilers captain re-signed on Monday to an incredibly team-friendly two-year contract, carrying a $12.5 million annual average value. The hometown discount allows general manager Stan Bowman and Co. to make plenty of moves to ensure that the Oilers remain atop the NHL standings and can compete for a Stanley Cup again and again.
This in and of itself is enough to rile up the fanbase across the country known as, Leafs nation. Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs had been creating mock lineups and already penciling in McDavid into their opening night lineup for next fall. That cannot happen now and it seems to have upset plenty.
Oilers contention window remains open for at least three more years
Ever since the Oilers won the McDavid sweepstakes in 2015, many fans and people in the media have been counting down the days for the generational talent to hit the open market and sign with the Leafs. As the years go by, this dream drifts further and further away from reality and many are struggling to cope.
Although not to call out his integrity, just to give context for why plenty of people were upset by the comments made by NHL insider, Chris Johnston. This comes from NHL Rumour Report on X, who is known for transcribing comments from prominent media members. In the Athletic, Johnton when speaking on the McDavid extension is quoted as saying:
""He left himself an escape hatch; You'd have to think the Oilers will need clarity on his long-term plans come summer 2027 and might be forced to consider a trade... If he's not of a mind to sign an extension," "Chris Johnston
This upset many for obvious reasons, the notion that McDavid could leave or be traded, especially after furthering his commitment to the Oilers is definitely going to ruffle feathers. But, Oilers fans should fear not, there is currently no reason to anticipate that McDavid will leave.
If him signing short-term deals over and over again to aid the team's salary cap situation and to put pressure on management to keep the team competitive, it should be seen as a positive. This signing helps the Oilers now and in the future.
The outside noise should mean nothing, especially since come June it will all be drowned out by the celebrations in the streets of Edmonton. We can only hope.