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Insider Provides Update On Connor McDavid's Contract Negotiations

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Dec 11, 2024 7:03 AM ET

Connor McDavid’s future with the Edmonton Oilers remains a hot topic as the superstar will enter the final year of his contract next season.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun discussed McDavid’s situation on TSN’s "Early Trading," from the NHL Board of Governors taking place in Florida.

LeBrun emphasized that while no talks have started, the Oilers and McDavid appear to be happy addressing the matter after the season.

"The reality is that Jeff Jackson said they have not started any type of contract negotiations or conversations on that front," LeBrun said. "He can’t sign until July 1 anyways.

"There’s no hurry to get into this. There’s a season to play out, there’s a focus on getting the Oilers back to the Stanley Cup Final, and then everyone involved is comfortable having that conversation."

The backdrop to McDavid's discussions with the Oilers is the NHL’s salary cap, which is expected to increase massively this offseason.

After this season, the cap could jump from $88 million to as much as $92.5 million, with even higher figures in subsequent years, as reported by Chris Johnston over at The Athletic.

"The cap for next season could be around $92.5 million (up from the current $88 million), which is the basic five percent increase stipulated by the current CBA," Johnston wrote. "Or the cap could be higher depending on CBA talks with the NHLPA and whether there’s a joint interest in building in a 'phase-in' to a higher cap."

McDavid’s potential contract extension could also mirror teammate Leon Draisaitl’s situation last year, where discussions were tabled to maintain focus on the season.

"(The situation) is similar to the path, I think, we saw with Leon Draisaitl last year in which Draisaitl wanted to focus on hockey and the season before getting into it after the year," LeBrun said. "That’s the sense we get now with Connor McDavid."

Although Draisaitl made Oilers fans wait beyond July 1 to hear the announcement about his contract extension, McDavid's teammate ended up signing a huge eight-year, $112 million contract on Sep. 3 linking him to the Oilers through the 2023 season.

As things stand, and focusing on the regular season, the Oilers are the third-best team in the Pacific Division with a 16-10-2 record and 34 total points in 28 games to date.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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