Insider ‘ballparks’ Connor McDavid signing four-year extension with Oilers

When it comes to Connor McDavid’s contract negotiations, there’s no shortage of speculation going around town.

Heading into the 2025-26 season, McDavid is on the final year of an eight-year, $12.5 million AAV deal signed back in 2017 a year before his entry-level contract ended. Through this summer and into the fall, McDavid’s contract extension is surely a top priority for Stan Bowman and the Oilers, who want to avoid the chance of the superstar hitting the open market next July.

Ideally for Edmonton, McDavid re-signs on an eight-year deal so they can have him locked in through 2034. However, hockey insider Frank Seravalli reported on Bleacher Report that he believes McDavid may be considering a shorter term deal, at around $16-17.5 million AAV.

Here’s what Seravalli had to say on the matter:

If I were looking at the Connor McDavid situation as best I can handicap it at this point in time, my guess is that it’s not going to be an eight-year deal, that it’ll be less than that, probably four and somewhere between $16 and $17.5 million in AAV. Those are just ballparks. That’s the best that I can glean at this moment in time. Not really even confident saying completely that it’s going to be a four-year deal. I still think it makes sense to get eight and just be done with it.

If you’re Connor McDavid, the last thing you want to do is go through this again and you know he has so much leverage and control that if he decides after four years or three years or whatever that the Edmonton Oilers aren’t getting it done and he’s not going to have a chance to win there, well, the best player in the world just raises his hand and says I want out and they’re going to have no choice but to make it happen. So I don’t think signing a shorter term deal lights a fire under Edmonton’s arse any quicker than anything else. Just something to keep in mind.

The prospect of a four-year deal is an interesting one for the Oilers. On the one hand, if it’s what it takes to get McDavid to stay in the city, and to get the contract done sooner than later, it’s pretty much a no brainer. But of course, the Oilers want McDavid locked in for as long as possible. And as Seravalli notes, with the power McDavid has in the organization, an eight-year deal is hardly as binding as it would be for a less important player.

Meanwhile, the $16-17.5 million AAV figure that Seravalli quotes is hardly surprising, as it’s already widely speculated that McDavid’s new contract will easily make him the league’s highest paid player. Currently the title belongs to teammate Leon Draisaitl, who earns $14 million a year. With the cap going up, and McDavid considered to be the best player in the world right now, it’s not hard to imagine he’s going to cash in big time.