Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid. Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Connor McDavid's new deal sends clear message to Oilers

By Ted Goldberg | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 2:59 PM ET

Connor McDavid's recent contract extension appears to be quite the team-friendly deal — at least on the surface.

McDavid, a seven-time All-Star with the Oilers, inked a two-year extension that will keep him in Edmonton through the 2027-28 season and pay him $12.5M per year.

Before signing the extension, McDavid would have become an unrestricted free agent after this season, his 11th in Edmonton.

Leaving money on the table

By signing this contract, McDavid is leaving millions on the table to keep his options open should Edmonton not contend for a Stanley Cup. McDavid won't be the highest-paid Oiler this season, and he won't even be the highest-paid NHL player wearing No. 97.

Leon Draisaitl, McDavid's longtime linemate, made a long-term commitment to the Oilers last year by signing an eight-year contract extension paying $14M each season. Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who also wears No. 97, made league history this summer with his recent extension paying $136M over eight seasons.

McDavid acknowledged his new deal with a post on X Monday afternoon.

Our journey here continues pic.twitter.com/7YytCvszz2
— Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97) October 6, 2025

What wasn't acknowledged was the cold, hard truth that McDavid turned down what would have been a substantial amount of money for the privilege of revisiting free agency when he turns 31 in 2028. Kaprizov and Draisaitl are two of the finest players in the NHL, but McDavid could have easily eclipsed their annual earnings had he chosen to stay in Edmonton long term.

Instead, his reworked contract, which keeps him with the Oilers for three more seasons, sends a loud message to his team: Win the Stanley Cup now, or I will leave.

In a press release celebrating the contract extension, Stan Bowman, executive vice president of hockey operations and general manager of the Oilers, said, "Connor's commitment to our team and our city is surpassed only by his singular focus of bringing a Stanley Cup back to fans of the Edmonton Oilers."

Last season, McDavid and the Oilers lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers for the second straight season. McDavid is a five-time Art Ross trophy winner, given to the NHL's leading point-getter.

Ted Goldberg

Ted Goldberg is a sports writer based in New Jersey who previously worked as a journalist for Spectrum News and PBS. He joined Yardbarker in September 2025, primarily writing about the NFL, MLB, and NBA. He graduated from Syracuse with a degree in Broadcast Journalism a very long time ago

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