McDavid’s Future Will Be Negative Distraction for Oilers

What may instead derail the season is none other than Connor McDavid. His play, of course, won’t hurt whatsoever, as he continues to be widely regarded as the best player in the NHL. That said, his contract status has many in Edmonton worrying, and to no surprise, it was already a hot topic with reporters on Thursday.

McDavid spoke with TSN’s Ryan Rishaug and continued to maintain that he doesn’t want his contract situation to be a distraction. Not only does he not want it to be a distraction, but he also believes that his team won’t allow it to be one.

“We’re all professional hockey players. We’re all adults, this is a mature group,” McDavid said. “If guys can’t play with Ryan Rishaug talking about a contract, then we’re probably in the wrong line of work here, we’re in the wrong business. We’re playing in Edmonton, I am who I am, people are going to talk about it. I understand that – everyone understands that – but if guys can’t do their job because of that, that’s really a them issue. That’s not really a me issue or anything like that.”

Wishful Thinking From McDavid

Let’s first mention that this entire situation isn’t McDavid’s fault. Had management, both current and former, put together a better team around him, the Oilers would already have at least one, if not multiple, Stanley Cup championships in his tenure. And, if that were the case, his extension would likely already be signed.

The fact that it isn’t signed, even though he’ll never admit it, shows that there are at least some doubts when it comes to remaining in Edmonton. Some may say that he simply wants to move elsewhere, but in all likelihood, the fact that they haven’t won the Cup yet is playing the biggest factor in all of this.

That said, while you can respect McDavid saying he doesn’t want this to become a distraction, it absolutely will be. It was the most talked-about thing in the hockey world all summer long, and will only get louder and louder as the season plays out. Soon, it won’t be just McDavid being asked about it.

McDavid and his teammates play in a market where it’s all hockey, all the time. That means that not only will the Oilers captain be getting questions about his contract situation time and time again, but his teammates will as well. Whether he likes it or not, getting those questions over and over will wear on the group. It may even result in them beginning to doubt whether or not he’ll stick around long term, and will create an awkward dynamic within the dressing room. Again, it’s not McDavid’s fault; it’s simply the reality of what has and will continue to be a huge talking point.

McDavid knows that this is a distraction. He’s aware that he is regarded as the best player in the world. Nobody knows what lies ahead for him, and in reality, he likely doesn’t either at this point in time. That said, until he puts pen to paper, this will be a huge distraction for the Oilers organization, and could even hurt them in terms of success this coming season, especially as the noise continues to grow louder and louder.