TSN: Chris Johnston on SportsCentre with Jay Onrait when asked if we can put to rest the Connor McDavid contact talk, that he’s going to be extending with the Edmonton Oilers.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Onrait: “Connor McDavid, practically should be conducting all the tourism slogans for Edmonton, because that was, that was the best document of Edmonton, I think I’ve ever heard. And I love what he said about the city. You know, easy living. He seems to love it there.
CJ, Chris Johnston, back with us, our Hockey Insider. So I guess he said it. He’s had his say. He’s not going to talk about it anymore. He’s not concerned about a contract extension. So can we just put it all to rest, CJ, at this point, do you think?
Johnston: “Well, I think on some level, we can put it to rest, just in terms of there’s not an actionable item here. You can’t even sign a deal until next summer, but I don’t know that it can be entirely put to rest until he does finally get his signature on a deal. Perhaps it will be next summer, perhaps closer to 2026, when he’s a free agent.
And you know, one other box I think we should all focus on that Connor McDavid wants to tick. He wants to win. He wants to play somewhere where he feels he feels he has a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
And obviously, with what happened in Edmonton last year, getting to Game 7 of the Cup Final. Losing in about as close away as a team could, falling just short of a championship. I mean, if that is repeated, I don’t necessarily mean that they end up losing in the end, but if this remains an organization that is among the top tier in the league, I think the odds of him staying in Edmonton grow.
Obviously, he and Leon Draisaitl are very good friends, and Draisaitl is committed for another eight seasons after this one, so nine in total. So I think a lot of things are in the favor or point in the direction of Conor McDavid staying in Edmonton.
But you know, when you can’t sign that deal today, they’re just, who knows what could happen between then and now, and so I think we can put it to rest, and then I don’t think it’s a burning storyline. I think the money on his next deal will take care of itself. Safe to say, I’ll go to the limb, and when he signs his next deal will be the highest paid player in the league again at that point in time.
But really the focus, I think, is on trying to take that one step further than team didn’t last year. And if they’re in the mix again, I do think it bodes well heading into next summer, when he can sign that new deal.”