Connor McDavid on future with Oilers: ‘Still need to do what’s best for me and my family’
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are heading into a formative offseason after falling to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row.
On Thursday, as the Oilers addressed reporters at their locker cleanout day, the superstar center offered little insight on his future, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
“We’re all in this together, trying to get it over that finish line. But with that being said, I still need to do what’s best for me and my family,” he said, knowing he will be eligible to sign a new contract with Edmonton as of July 1.
“That’s who you have to take care of first. But of course, there’s unfinished business here.”
"We're holding this together, trying to get it over the finish line. With that being said, ultimately still need to do what's best for me and my family, and that's who you have to take care of first."
Connor McDavid discusses 'unfinished business' with this Oilers team. pic.twitter.com/0HDtCT83ab
He emphasized that there is no rush in reaching a new contract, even as rumors swirl about his potential future, whether that be in Edmonton or another NHL market, where he would search for his first Stanley Cup.
“It’s only been a couple of days since the season ended,” he added. “Take some time to regroup, talk to my agent a little bit, family and all that and make some decisions whenever that time comes. There’s no rush on anything like that.”
After getting so close with a Game 7 loss in 2024 and a six-game series in 2025, McDavid has winning at the top of his priority list heading into the rest of his career, especially as he reaches the tail end of his prime at 28 years old.
“Winning would be at the top of the list, it’s the most important thing,” he said when prompted about his goals in a new deal. “If I feel there’s a good window to win here over and over again, then signing is no problem.
“I’m not in a rush to make any decision. I don’t think there needs to be any timeline. I know people are going to look at that July 1 day and be looking to see if there’s anything done. But for me, I’m just not in a rush that way.”
In Edmonton, McDavid has formed a core alongside Leon Draisaitl, who each scored 33 points in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, after both crested the 100-point mark for the fourth consecutive season.
Yet, despite Draisaitl signing an eight-year contract which will take him through the 2031-33 season, the three-time Hart Trophy winner feels no need to commit to anything quickly, especially given the potential for another run with the Oilers in his current contract.
“This core has been together for a long time. We’ve been building to this moment all along,” McDavid said. “Work that’s gone on behind the scenes, the conversations, the endless disappointments and some good times along the way as well.