Oilers' Connor McDavid remains tight-lipped about future in Edmonton in latest sit down with Elliotte Friedman

Connor McDavid continues to be quiet about his long-term future in Edmonton following his latest sit-down with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The Oilers’ captain is heading into the final season of his eight-year deal and could hit unrestricted free agency next summer.

In his interview with Friedman, McDavid stressed once again that he’s not rushing into an extension. He and his family are carefully weighing their options, and no deal is on the horizon. For now, his focus is squarely on the upcoming 2025–26 season.

When Friedman admitted he was surprised nothing had been finalized yet, McDavid pushed back, saying people may have assumed too much about the process.

“You know, my wife, I obviously love being here in Edmonton, and we have every intention, as I said, to win here in Edmonton and I have all the faith in the world in this ’25-26 season.” McDavid said. (1:50 onwards) “And beyond that still remains to be seen. We have time. It’s our decision. Basically, we’ve earned that. And we’re gonna take our time with it.”

Connor McDavid also clarified that he doesn’t need to see anything specific from the Oilers this season to consider re-signing.

“It’s going to be a feeling. You know, it’s gonna be you know when the time’s right, the moment’s right, I think it’ll just be a feeling. But as of right now, just excited to get the season going really.”

The Oilers’ superstar has carried the franchise to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals in the past two seasons, though both ended in losses to the Florida Panthers. Last year, he put up 26 goals and 74 assists in just 67 games, then dominated the playoffs with a league-best 33 points in 22 games.

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David Staples’s take on Connor McDavid's comments on contract extension

NHL analyst David Staples shared his perspective on Connor McDavid’s contract comments, stressing that if no extension gets done this season, the issue won’t just fade away. He said it could become a,

“major distraction to the fans and to the media, if not to the Oilers team itself. We’ll see how that last part goes." said on edmontonjournal.com

According to Staples, fans are already worked up, with speculation and anxiety running high. He added that a contract stalemate would almost certainly spark a wave of buzz, frustration and noise, making it difficult for the team to tune it out.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra