Elliotte Friedman drops a bomb on current contract stalemate for Connor McDavid!

Rumors have swirled all summer long about Connor McDavid’s new contract with the Oilers as some pundits believe he could sign ahead of the 2025–26 season aiming to avoid distractions. McDavid himself has confirmed he intends to win in Edmonton, while also leaving open the possibility of starting the season without a signed deal, which is making a lot of people nervous and even prompting insider Elliotte Friedman to reveal what might be really going on behind the scenes in Edmonton. Friedman brought up on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast on Sportsnet that the back-to-back Stanley Cup losses against the Florida Panther is eating away at McDavid, whose priority is to win a championship. Perhaps, he could look to have a better opportunity elsewhere…

“When someone asks me what this is all about, it’s two losses in a row in the Finals, and he can’t freakin stand it. It makes him crazy.”

Friedman also added: "The biggest thing his words have done...is they have other teams asking, is this real? Is there honestly a chance that Connor McDavid is gonna be an unrestricted agent next July 1st?"

Earlier this summer, it was reported that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman and CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson travelled to Ontario to meet with McDavid’s agent Judd Moldaver, and tough questions were asked about the future in Edmonton.

Which pretty much means when are the Oilers getting that darn Stanley Cup.

In his exit interview after another Cup Final loss, McDavid admitted he will take some time to accept losing his second consecutive Stanley Cup Final before turning his attention to a potential contract extension. He will be playing out the final season of an eight-year, $100-million contract in 2025-26.

With Friedman reminding everyone on how tough the two straight losses having been for McDavid, you have to wonder if he could wait and see how the Oilers manage the start of the season, before he puts pen to paper.