Oilers GM rounds off concerning update on Connor McDavid's contract extension with optimism 

Edmonton Oilers fans will be feeling anxious as the offseason continues with their captain, Connor McDavid, yet to sign a contract extension with the club. The forward is in the last year of his current eight-year, $100 million contract and has been eligible to sign a new contract since July 1.

Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman gave an update on negotiations between the club's top brass and McDavid's agent, Judd Moldaver, on the "Oilers Now" podcast by Bob Stauffer. He said the club is giving McDavid the space he requires and isn't rushing him for the extension. He added there is no timeline set by the club either.

"Yeah, I mean, I've had really good conversations with Judd since the season ended. Honestly, I've tried to give Connor his space. I think that it's important," Bowman said (Timestamp- 0:21 onwards). "A lot of this is respecting the athlete and their timeline. So we haven't had any of those types of detailed discussions yet, but we certainly will. "I think we're very encouraged by all the conversations I've had to date. When the time comes, the time comes. I think that the one thing I've enjoyed in getting to know Connor is just his motivation and his leadership with our group. He's such an amazing player, but we all know that. "But when you get a chance to see him and watch the way that he operates amongst a team that no one else gets to see, he's a huge part of everything we do here. So I don't have a timeline update, but I do expect to have some conversations with him soon and hopefully get that wrapped up," he added.

Despite the 2024-25 season being a down year for McDavid, where he scored just 100 points in 66 games with a points/game of 1.49, which has been over 1.52 each of the past five seasons, McDavid is expected to receive a massive pay raise from his $12.5 million annual average value.

Since 2017, after signing the contract, he has won the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP thrice and the Art Ross Trophy for most points in a season five times. Under his leadership, the Oilers have reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice in the last two seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers in both series.

NHL insider predicts short-term contract extension for Connor McDavid

The two Finals losses have certainly put doubts in Connor McDavid's mind that does his team have the guns to win it all. There has been speculation that he could sign a short-term extension of three or four years instead of the maximum eight allowed, and look to play out the rest of his 30s elsewhere.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli spoke about it on Bleacher Report's "Open Ice".

"Not really even confident saying completely that it's going to be a four-year deal," Seravalli said. "(But) If you're Connor McDavid, the last thing you want to do is go through this again (losing in Finals). "He has so much leverage and control that if he decides after four years or three years that the Edmonton Oilers aren't getting it done. ... Well, the best player in the world just raises his hand and says, I want out, ... (Oilers) have no choice but to make it happen," he added.

It remains to be seen how Bowman and the Oilers tackle the negotiations with Moldaver once they start taking shape.

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Edited by Veer Badani