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Leon Draisaitl Breaks Silence on Connor McDavid’s Oilers Contract Uncertainty

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 7:30 AM ET

Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers players will try to do their best to keep the focus on hockey, but the questions about Connor McDavid’s contract situation will continue to follow the team until there is a resolution.

McDavid, who is entering the final seasons of his eight-year, $100 million deal, became eligible for an extension on July 1 but has yet to commit to a long-term deal with the Oilers. The superstar's silence has fueled speculation around the league, and it hit Oilers players as they gathered for a captain's skate on Thursday.

As a fellow superstar and one of McDavid’s closest teammates, Draisaitl spoke to reporters after the Oilers’ captain’s skate on Thursday, offering his thoughts on the situation.

"Of course, I want him here as long as possible. I want to win with him," Draisaitl said. "It’s about him and his family, and they’re going to make their decision based on what’s best for them.

"I know he loves it here, I know he feels at home here, but there’s a lot of things that play into a decision like that. So hopefully something gets reported soon."

Draisaitl hopes McDavid will remain with Oilers 'for as long as possible' ⤵️https://t.co/AYlJxuvsOO
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) September 4, 2025

The 2024-25 Maurice Richard Trophy winner, as the NHL's top goal scorer, acknowledged that McDavid’s choice is out of his hands.

That said, Draisaitl's words reflected the obvious in how he is personally close to McDavid and how important retaining the best active player is for the Oilers and their title chances.

Edmonton has reached the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years under the McDavid-Draisaitl tandem but fell short each time against the Florida Panthers.

While McDavid repeated on Thursday that he is in no rush to finalize an extension, calling the speculation “white noise,” he acknowledged that the chatter will stay there until he makes a decision, as it'll be something unavoidable in a big hockey market like Edmonton.

"With me being me—in this position, in this market—people are going to talk about it," McDavid said at the captain's skate on Thursday. "That’s understandable, and that’s fair."

As the Oilers chase a third consecutive trip to the Final with McDavid under contract for at least another year, his decision will remain a dominant storyline and grab the utmost attention until the summer-long saga is over.

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

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