What is holding up Connor McDavid’s contract extension?

It seems like the Connor McDavid extension talk is heating up and it’s time to look at what is holding up his contract extension. Whether it is the pressure from the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) to take more, McDavid’s personal desire to take less for the team, and the fact that he could be holding up his extension to take the pressure off of the team to start the season.

The Edmonton Oilers would prefer to have no distractions to start the season, but really, that has not been the case. McDavid’s contract extension will continue to be a talking point in the media, until he decides to sign and puts the pen to paper. The more time that goes by, especially with the regular season starting for Edmonton in just a week, if McDavid does not sign soon, the more nervous that fans will get in regards to his future with the team.

Let us take a look at some key pieces on what is holding up Connor McDavid’s contract extension.

Pressure from the NHLPA to take more

Reports have indicated that the NHLPA has been putting some pressure on McDavid to avoid taking a significant team-friendly discount on his next contract. His upcoming contract is considered a crucial benchmark not just for himself, but for future player negotiations, that would ensure a high market value for himself and his peers. Here are three reasons why the NHLPA is interested in McDavid’s next contract and him taking more.

Setting a precedent

It is fair to say that everyone, fans and players alike, believe that Connor McDavid has to be and deserves to be the highest paid player in the league. Being considered the current best player in the world, McDavid taking close to the max on his next contract would set the benchmark for what all future mega-deals look like for the star players in the NHL.

Player earnings

All star players in the NHL deserve to be the highest paid players in the league and it just makes sense because of what they can accomplish year in and year out on a personal level, but also with how their level of play impacts the team game as well. A substantial discount on McDavid’s next contract could negatively impact salary expectations for the other star players negotiating their own deals. The NHLPA wants to prevent this from happening.

Leverage

With the NHL salary cap expected to increase significantly over the next couple seasons, the cap is expected to jump from $88M to $95.5M, $95.5M to $104M and finally, $104M to $113.5M. This is expected to happen over the next three years and in these three years, we could see the salary cap increase by a massive $25.5M. In regards to future contracts, the star players in the NHL will be able to use this as leverage to be paid more and actually earn what they deserve. This will have a huge impact on all the future contract extensions in the league.

A personal desire to take less (for the team)

We all understand that Connor McDavid definitely should be the highest paid player in the NHL, but from his perspective, here is why he may have a personal desire to take less on his next contract. With a priority on winning, McDavid has openly stated and prioritized winning a Stanley Cup and winning in Edmonton. After losing back-to-back Cup Finals to the Florida Panthers, this suggests that he may be willing to take a smaller salary to allow the Oilers to build a more competitive team around him. Opening up that door for opportunities, seems key to McDavid and for the future of the team.

Yes, we already know that the salary cap is expected to increase and is going to increase by a huge amount. However, instead of McDavid taking a large percentage of that for his own extension, leaving more on the table could help provide more room for the Oilers to keep their core players, even if McDavid does end up signing a maximum-value contract. Ultimately, it comes down to an individual decision and McDavid has the leverage to make that decision based on his own priorities.

Taking pressure off the Oilers to start the season

The last key talking point about what could be holding up Connor McDavid’s next contract extension, comes down to him not just wanting to take all of that pressure off of himself, but off of the team as well. The Oilers have set goals and McDavid is a big part of that. If the regular season starts and all that the team is worried about is McDavid’s extension and trying to get him re-signed, that could negatively impact the way that the Oilers play throughout the season or until McDavid finalizes a deal.

In Connor McDavid’s eyes, he does not want to put any more pressure on himself based on what he already deals with on a day-to-day basis being the best player in the NHL. The pressure that he already has on his shoulders to constantly perform and to win a Stanley Cup, is far more heavy than not being signed or having a contract extension finalized. He probably wants to do his best to take that extra added pressure off of himself, so that he can focus on the season and the games ahead and focus on what the Oilers and himself are trying to accomplish. In reality, McDavid could actually be trying to draw even more attention onto himself, instead of the team.

With the start of the 2025–26 NHL regular season officially a week away for the Edmonton Oilers, what do you think is holding up Connor McDavid’s contract extension? Let us know in the comments.