NHL analyst claims Connor McDavid's contract drama could dwarf $65,408,000 Maple Leafs forward's speculation

By R. Nikhil Parshy

Modified Apr 25, 2025 17:13 GMT

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Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are facing great adversity. They have fallen 2–0 behind the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. If they get swept, there will be heavy speculation surrounding his future with the team as he nears the end of his current eight-year, $100 million contract.

Connor McDavid's contract, signed on July 5, 2017, will end after the 2025-26 season. This means that he will be eligible to sign an extension with the Oilers on July 1. As the franchise's face, he is the top priority for the team so that they secure their potent offensive pairing of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who signed an eight-year, $112 million contract at the start of the season.

NHL analyst James Duthie said on TSN's Overdrive's latest episode that Draisaitl's contract extension was probably made around his teammate, McDavid. Since becoming the No.1 draft pick in 2015, McDavid is also entering the phase where he will be asked about his future in Edmonton.

"Well, definitely we would be," Duthie said. "I'd probably be four of the—what—four of the eight hours or whatever we're on for. I don't think—my personal guess is that him and Draisaitl sort of made a deal that they're staying, and that's why Draisaitl already signed. And, they've both decided that they're staying."

However, he also said that if #97 fails to win his first Stanley Cup with the Oilers, he may look at other probable options. As per Duthie, the contract saga will be more dramatic than Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, whose $10.9 million annual average value contract expires at the end of this year. Marner's contract speculations have gone on for the entire season, with no certainty if he will remain in Toronto.

"If he does not sign an extension—I mean, if you thought like the Marner stuff this year—it'll be tenfold in that city all of next season. If he does not sign an extension this summer," Duthie said.

Oilers GM Stan Bowman confident of signing Connor McDavid

In March, Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said that the management was positive that McDavid's contract extension would be done.

“He’s the most important player we have here, so that is priority number one. We’ll get to that this summer. Now’s probably not the time to be talking about that, but we all know Connor is going to be here and that we’re going to make it happen.”

McDavid's $12.5 million annual average value is 15.72% of the Oilers' salary cap. After the 2026 season, the NHL's salary cap will increase to $104 million, and with the same percentage, their captain will get a $16.35 million annual average salary.