Connor McDavid isn’t rushing into anything when it comes to his future with the Edmonton Oilers.
The NHL superstar spoke to media Wednesday at Canada’s Olympic camp in Calgary, making his first public comments since the Oilers’ Stanley Cup Final loss to Florida in June.
“Like I said in June, I had every intention to take my time with it and I still feel the same way,” McDavid said about potential contract extension talks.
The timing couldn’t be bigger. McDavid is entering the final year of his $100 million deal, setting up what could be one of the biggest free agent situations in NHL history next summer.
But the 26-year-old captain made it clear where his heart lies.
“I have every intention to win in Edmonton,” he said. “That’s my only focus maybe next to winning the gold medal with Canada.”
No real negotiations have started yet. McDavid and his agent Judd Moldaver are still working through what they want in a potential new deal.
His current contract pays him $12.5 million per season – a number that seems low given what he brings to the ice. Any new deal would likely make him the NHL’s highest-paid player.
The numbers show why. McDavid put up 100 points last season (26 goals, 74 assists), ranking sixth in the league. In the playoffs, he tied teammate Leon Draisaitl with 33 points as the Oilers made their Cup Final run.
The team around him will look a bit different this year. Veterans Evander Kane and Corey Perry are gone, replaced by newcomers like Andrew Mangiapane from Washington and promising youngster Isaac Howard from Tampa Bay.
For now, McDavid seems content taking a measured approach to his future – even as Oilers fans hold their breath about keeping their franchise cornerstone.
