Connor McDavid has been in Edmonton for 10 years. What is he trying to feel out?
TSN: Chris Johnston when asked what Connor McDavid is trying to feel out. He’s been with the Edmonton Oilers for 10 years and is familiar with the situation.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Jeff O’Neill: “CJ, that’s that’s fine and dandy and everything. You have the right to do when you’re the best player in the universe, you can do whatever you want. But we were discussing in the first segment how I found it odd how he wants to do that, and it’s he’s also so familiar with the situation. Like this guy’s been there for 10 years. It’s not a scenario where he’s just got traded to San Jose last year, and he wanted to feel a few things out.
So that begs the question, what exactly is the feeling out? Like, does he want to see if there’s a goaltending change? Does he want to see if something shored up in a certain area? Like, that’s, that’s what, when you do this, it’s going to leave it open to questions about, what are you feeling out here? You know what I mean.
NHL News: Draft Date, Trade Deadline, Matt Barzal, Seth Jarvis, PTOs, and the Rangers Front Office
Johnston: “Yeah, and they’re fair questions, you know, and they’re questions that I’m sure will continue to be asked of him, as long as this is unresolved and is kind of in the status quo stage it is right now. And, you know, I don’t think it’s just one thing, you know.
Look, this team has been to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, but I know the internal feeling in Edmonton is that they took a step back from 2024 to 2025. That, you know, look, it was, it says a lot about how great a team they are, that they were down to the last two standing, but they they lost ground to the Panthers in that 12 months.
You know, it could be that Conor wants to see, you know, what the team has this season. How do things start? How does it feel? I mean, you know, I just think he’s really would be concerned, and this isn’t just with Edmonton, it’s anywhere he might think about playing at any time. It’s he’s not going to want to box himself in somewhere where he doesn’t feel that he has a great chance to win.
And so, you know, I don’t know what it will be for him that sort of says, Okay, this is the best spot to stay here with the Oilers, you know. But you look at the other players on that team, and, you know, he’s talked a lot, referencing this season, like, I think he’s correct to look at the team this year and say they’ve got a good shot. They may not have taken a big step forward in any way that we can pinpoint this summer, but they certainly, I don’t think, took massive steps back. And they’ve just been to those two Cup finals.
So, you know, I do think that he just wants to get really comfortable with the idea that whatever the next contract is, that he’s going to have a chance to win a Stanley Cup in that playing season. Because, you know, he played all those years you mentioned. He’s been the top player in the game. You know, 8, 100 point seasons already. He’s been a leading playoff point getter three of the last four years, and it hasn’t been good enough for his team to win the cup. And you know, you’ve heard him too in some of the interviews I saw, the one he gave to Ryan Rashad last night. You know, he’s talked about that he feels pressure, that he can be even better.
NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, and the Penguins
But, you know, I think at a certain point, if you’re him, how much more do you have to give? You know, I would hate to put that challenge in front of him, because it seems like he can do pretty much anything he puts his mind to. But you know, he’s got to feel like he’s surrounded by the right chances to win. He thinks that’s the case this season. He’s under contract with the Oilers, but I think starting 2026, 27 he’s got some some questions that he’s still working through that process.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.
