Connor McDavid extends his contract with the Edmonton Oilers
Star center Connor McDavid will continue his career with the Edmonton Oilers after signing a two-year contract extension, with an average annual value of $12.5 million, the team announced on Monday. Less than two hours after securing McDavid, the Oilers also signed defenseman Jake Walman to a seven-year, $49 million extension, which will also take effect next season. McDavid’s decision was made on Monday morning, and contract negotiations were completed in a matter of hours. Before this extension, McDavid was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, his eleventh with the Oilers, after signing an eight-year, $100 million deal in July 2017. The possible availability of the superstar generated speculation about his future, but remaining in Edmonton was always considered the most likely outcome. McDavid, 28, is widely considered the best hockey player in the world. In his career, he has accumulated 1,082 points in 712 games, with 361 goals. He has won five scoring titles and three Hart Trophies as regular season MVP. In 2024, he became the second skater to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in a losing effort. McDavid has led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in two consecutive seasons, but they lost to the Florida Panthers on both occasions.McDavid took his time to make a decision about the contract, while evaluating the Oilers’ contention window. Leon Draisaitl, 29, signed an eight-year extension with an AAV of $14 million in September 2024. Other players like forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, as well as defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse, are over 30 years old. There were also doubts about the team’s goaltending, possibly their biggest weakness in the two Stanley Cup Final losses. Many anticipated that McDavid would accept a short-term contract with the Oilers to help them stay in their contention window for the next two seasons, while potentially becoming the most coveted free agent in NHL history in the summer of 2028. There were discussions about a three-year contract for McDavid during the talks with the Oilers before the parties finally agreed on two years. McDavid was also expected to accept a team-friendly contract, far from Kirill Kaprizov’s recent deal with the Minnesota Wild, which set NHL records in total value ($136 million) and AAV ($17 million) on an eight-year contract.Connor’s commitment to our team and our city is only surpassed by his singular focus on bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Edmonton Oilers fans.
Stan Bowman, General Manager
