McDavid has 'every intention' to win with Oilers
With no contract extension in place deep into the offseason, Connor McDavid affirmed his desire to win a Stanley Cup with Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
"Take my time and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton," McDavid told media during Canada's Olympic orientation camp, including TSN.
"It's my only focus. It would be nice to win a gold medal with Canada, but it is my intention to win there (in Edmonton)."
TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported Wednesday that McDavid's camp and the Oilers haven't exchanged numbers on term or money yet. McDavid is still unsure if he'll sign before the start of the new season in October.
"All options are on the table, we're going through it. I don't have a preference either way," McDavid said. "I want the (Oilers) to be as dialed in as possible and not have any distractions."
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said in late July that he's encouraged by early talks between the club and agent Judd Moldaver and that he expected negotiations to ramp up in the near future.
McDavid said he's in no rush to sign after the Oilers lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers for the second straight spring. The three-time MVP noted that re-signing in Edmonton would be an easy choice as long as the organization is committed to building a sustainable winner.
McDavid became eligible to sign a new deal July 1. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in July 2026 if no extension is agreed upon by then.
The Oilers are projected to have over $44 million in cap space for their 2026-27 roster, the first year of McDavid's potential new deal, according to PuckPedia. McDavid has counted for a $12.5-million cap hit for the past seven seasons and will again in 2025-26.
Edmonton awarded Leon Draisaitl ($14-million AAV) and Evan Bouchard ($10.5-million AAV) lucrative contract extensions over the past year.
McDavid missed 15 games last season due to injuries and suspension but still hit the 100-point mark for the fifth year in a row and eighth time in 10 NHL campaigns.
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