The Edmonton Oilers have reached training camp without so much as an exchange of contract numbers with Connor McDavid, and the silence is deafening. For the best player in the world, and the franchise’s greatest hope in decades, the lack of progress is alarming.
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun had confirmed earlier this week that the Oilers and McDavid’s camp have yet to even begin discussions on salary or term. That detail alone speaks for the tension currently prevalent in Edmonton.
In his most recent interview with Elliotte Friedman, McDavid addressed the situation directly. Despite his assurances that he is indeed focused on winning in Oil County, his words carried an ominous tone.
“My wife and I obviously love being here in Edmonton, and we have every intention, as I said, to win here in Edmonton and I have all the faith in the world in this ’25-26 season,” he said.
“And beyond that still remains to be seen. We have time. It’s our decision. Basically, we’ve earned that. And we’re gonna take our time with it.”
Those comments, while measured, read like a carefully delivered warning. McDavid made a point of underlining his confidence only in this season, not the future, and of stressing that he and his family will take their time.
He also added: “I think everybody’s entitled to think whatever they want. I think people just kind of assumed that things were going to happen. And, you know, just goes to show that not everybody knows exactly what’s going on.”
For Oilers fans who once assumed their captain’s extension would be automatic these remarks are a cold dose of reality.
Connor McDavid reportedly deterred by Oilers’ aging core
Reports from NHL Insider Chris Johnston have added context to McDavid’s reluctance. According to Johnston, McDavid’s hesitation stems from doubts about the team’s aging roster. He believes Edmonton has the pieces to contend again this year but is unconvinced that the core can sustain success in the years ahead.
With Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mattias Ekholm all well into their 30s and already showing the wear of heavy mileage, the roster projects as competitive in the short term but brittle in the long run. Injuries have already exposed cracks and beyond a handful of prospects like Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard, the organization lacks meaningful reinforcements.
McDavid’s stance has therefore become a referendum on the Oilers’ long-term vision. Edmonton ownership insists they are willing to offer any amount of money and term to keep him. But McDavid is no longer evaluating only dollars. By leaving his future deliberately undefined, he is effectively challenging the organization to prove it can build a team that wins consistently.
The implications meanwhile, are enormous. Entering a season with McDavid unsigned is not a distraction he can wave away, no matter how often he insists otherwise. Every slump will fuel speculation, every trade will be judged through the lens of his patience and every other team in the NHL will quietly prepare for the impossible, the chance to pursue him.
For a franchise that once watched Wayne Gretzky leave, the possibility of losing McDavid is the ultimate nightmare.