Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman expects contract talks with captain Connor McDavid to begin soon.
Bowman told CHED 880’s Bob Stauffer on Tuesday that McDavid is central to the organization’s plans. He doesn’t have a specific timeline but hopes to get discussions wrapped up.
“(McDavid is) a huge part of everything we do here, and so I don’t have a timeline update, but I do expect to have some conversations with them soon and hopefully get that wrapped up,” Bowman said.
McDavid became eligible to sign an extension on July 1.
After Edmonton lost the Stanley Cup Final, the three-time Hart Trophy winner said he wanted time to decompress before engaging in contract talks. He noted that re-signing wouldn’t be an issue if the team remained committed to icing a contending roster.
Bowman has spoken with McDavid’s agent but is respecting the player’s timeline.
“I’ve had really good conversations with Judd (Moldaver) since the season ended, and I’ve tried to give Connor his space, and I think that it’s important,” Bowman said. “A lot of this is respecting the athlete and their timeline.”
The GM confirmed they haven’t had detailed discussions yet but feels encouraged by conversations to date.
“We haven’t had any of those types of detailed discussions yet, but we certainly will, and I think we’re very encouraged by all the conversations I’ve had to date. And when the time comes, the time comes.”
McDavid’s current eight-year, $100-million deal expires after the 2025-26 season. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer without an extension.
The 28-year-old center is projected to become the league’s highest-paid player on his next contract.
The NHL’s salary cap is expected to jump to $104 million in 2026-27. Teammate Leon Draisaitl will hold the current distinction this season with an annual cap hit of $14 million.
Oilers’ Recent Success
Edmonton has reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Florida Panthers both times. The Oilers won the Western Conference title in consecutive seasons.
Notable summer moves include acquiring Andrew Mangiapane and Isaac Howard. The team also signed defenseman Evan Bouchard to an extension.
