The Edmonton Oilers are hoping they can finally find a way to get past the Florida Panthers and win their first Stanley Cup since 1990, after coming up just short in the previous two seasons, but they have one thing that could become a distraction if it isn’t dealt with soon.
Related: Oilers News & Rumours: McDavid Speaks, Kostin, PTOs
Connor McDavid has proven since entering the league a decade ago that he is one of the best players the NHL has ever seen. After having come up short for two straight seasons but almost winning his first Stanley Cup, he is now eligible to sign an extension with the Oilers as his current contract expires after the 2025-26 season.
In this player preview, we take a brief look at what McDavid did last season, on top of what fans and the team will expect out of him.
Connor McDavid
- Age: 28
- How Acquired: Drafted 1st overall in 2015
- 2024-25 Stats: 26 goals and 100 points in 67 games
- Career Stats: 361 goals and 1082 points in 712 games
- 2025-26 Contract Status: Year eight of an eight-year contract worth $12.5 million average annual value (AAV)
2024-25 Season & Looming Contract Extension
The Oilers came up just short again after coming out on top of the Western Conference, but are hoping they can finally pick up a championship next season. Last season, he scored 26 goals and added 74 assists for 100 points through 67 games, which comes out to a 1.49 points-per-game average.
Some fans are concerned that McDavid might not be satisfied with the Oilers’ roster heading into the new campaign, and while he has made it clear that his main focus is winning, they didn’t make a change between the pipes after questionable consistency. On top of that, they weren’t overly active when free agency got going this summer. They signed Andrew Mangiapane and Curtis Lazar, as well as acquired Isaac Howard, but other than that, it didn’t seem like they made many changes.
While some fans argued there weren’t any upgrades available in net, it could be too risky to go into the season with the same tandem that seemed to crumble when the Stanley Cup Final came around. They still have time to acquire a goalie during the upcoming season, but the giant question mark could be something that’s bothering him.
Either way, if McDavid doesn’t sign an extension before the season gets started, it could become a distraction to both the fans and his teammates, and while he says he doesn’t want that to be the case and wants to focus on winning in Edmonton, not signing a new deal before things get going could make that difficult.
2025-26 Season Role & Expectation
McDavid will be relied on to provide offensive production, just as he’s proven he can throughout his career, and there will be expectations for him to either lead the team in points or be close to the lead. The looming contract extension could prove to be a distraction for McDavid and the Oilers, but if he claims to be comfortable without one, fans should trust him and believe he will be able to break the 100-point plateau again.
Stat Projections
I would predict McDavid scores 45 goals and adds 70 assists for 115 points next season. He will be more motivated than usual after another loss in the Final last season, and he should be able to elevate his game in a way that puts him in the conversation for several awards at the end of the season.
As the 2025-26 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.
