The question has been there for a while now - will Connor McDavid remain in Edmonton following the conclusion of his current deal after the 2025-26 season? If you had to put your mortgage on it one way or the other, the majority of people would have said yes.
McDavid comes across as a loyal and determined person. Loyal to the team and fans of Edmonton, and determined to win them their first Stanley Cup since the 1989-90 season.
At the same time however, we could totally understand if there were any people who were nervous that McDavid wouldn't sign a contract extension to remain in Edmonton. Well, as of Tuesday morning, we firmly believe that any doubt has now been removed.
This confidence coincides with Leon Draisiatl signing his own contract extension to stay with the Oilers, with the deal beginning in 2025-26. Aside from the Average Annual Value of $14 million being the biggest in NHL history, what really matters is the length of term for eight years.
The reality is that Draisaitl wouldn't have committed for so long -- if at all -- if he didn't believe McDavid wasn't going to do the same next summer (when he is first eligible to re-sign). And this works both ways, with McDavid now ready to stay knowing that his good friend isn't going anywhere.
100 percent guarantee from an NHL insider
However, don't just take our word for it. Consider the words of the Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
Giving due credit to David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, Seravalli made an appearance on Oilers Now with host Bob Stauffer, to discuss the Draisaitl extension. He said: "It’s now a 100 percent shot that Connor McDavid re-signs with the Edmonton Oilers, because there is no chance that he’s leaving. I didn’t think there was to begin with, and certainly not now with Leon Draisaitl locked up for the long term."
To be clear, despite Seravalli's reputation as an NHL insider, his comments are more about a rational thought process as opposed to any inside knowledge. Regardless, there is no reason to disbelieve that he is incorrect.
McDavid to Toronto?
What's been amusing about all of this, are ongoing comments from Toronto Maple Leafs fans regarding McDavid. More specifically, that their team is somehow going to persuade the Oilers superstar to sign with them in two years rather than remain in Edmonton.
Seravalli also touched on this, while speaking with Stauffer. He said: "Why not the Edmonton Oilers? It’s a franchise steeped in history, a premier place to play, players are treated like princes, and they’ve got some of the best support in the league, bar none, and, oh yeah, by the way they’ve come as close as any team has ever come to winning the Stanley Cup and not getting the job done, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final."
Now of course Toronto the city is a vibrant place to be, with more going on and more to do than in Edmonton, or indeed anywhere else in Canada. However, this isn't the focus for the majority of hockey players.
Instead, it's about about winning and putting yourself in the best possible position to do so. And no matter that the Leafs have the likes of Auston Matthews and William Nylander, this doesn't guarantee success.
Comparing tradition and success
Consider that the Leafs have just one playoff series win in the past 20 seasons. One. Meanwhile, the Oilers have at least one series win in each of the past three seasons alone.
Leafs fans can go on all they want about their team's marvellous tradition and history, with their 13 Stanley Cup wins standing as the second-most in NHL history. However, the last win was way back in 1966-67, when the league only had six teams.
As for the Oilers, since they entered the league in 1979-80, their five Stanley Cup wins are tied for the most in the NHL, along with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, their eight trips to the Final in the same time period, stand alone as the most in the NHL.
Of course, the lastest trip this past season ended with the ultimate heartbreak for McDavid, along with Draisaitl. If anything however, coming up just short will have only galvanised the duo and reinforced their determination to win it all.
Hence why Draisaitl made the decision to re-sign for the Oilers, albeit also persuaded by a significant amount of money. This is something which McDavid is effectively guaranteed to also do, with apologies to any delusional Leafs fans out there who for some reason believe Toronto is the better option.