Connor McDavid’s contract negotiations take a turn that changes everything

For anyone worried about Connor McDavid leaving Edmonton and giving up on his close buddy and teammate Leon Draisaitl as he could become the most coveted free agent of all time next summer, take a breath. It’s not happening.

According to the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson, McDavid is set to re-sign with the Oilers, as he’s been eligible to do so since July 1st with a year left on his current $12.5 million AAV contract. Rumours have been hinting at a possible term of three or four years, not the full eight like his best friend Draisaitl, whose record-setting $14 million AAV kicks in this fall.

The two superstars are close on and off the ice, in fact, they’re currently in Europe together on a honeymoon trip with their spouses, Leon and Celeste alongside Connor and Lauren.

Matheson believes that McDavid will not be taking a “hometown discount” in the $16 million range so the team can sign more players. The NHL’s salary cap will be $104 million in 2026-27, which means the maximum AAV allowed for one player is $20.8 million.

While McDavid might not go all the way to that number, don’t expect him to settle for less than $18 million, similar to the $5.5 million AAV bump Draisaitl just received on his recent extension. The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn projects McDavid at $19.5 million AAV.

The Oilers don’t really need to negotiate here. Matheson claims that McDavid will write the number and the term, and the team will sign it. His wife Lauren also has business interests in Edmonton, which helps anchor him to the city.

A three- or four-year extension would keep McDavid and Draisaitl together for at least five more seasons, running McDavid to his 33rd birthday. That’s still younger than Wayne Gretzky was when he left Edmonton for L.A. (Gretzky was 27) and younger than Mark Messier when he headed to the Rangers (after five Cups).

If the Oilers still haven’t won a Stanley Cup by 2030, McDavid could easily decide it’s time for a new challenge, and a team like the Rangers will surely be waiting. If it ever gets to the point where he’s unhappy in the final year of an extension, the Oilers would have the chance to trade him for a massive return.

For now, though, the best duo in hockey isn’t going anywhere. Edmonton fans can start the countdown to the next big announcement, and maybe, finally, and ultimately what McDavid truly wants, more than a massive contract extension, a Stanley Cup parade downtown Edmonton.