Connor McDavid has successfully used his leverage over the Oilers: Now what happens?
Connor McDavid has reportedly been holding out from a contract extension in an effort to use his leverage on the Oilers to pursue winning with urgency.
With the regular season now less than a week away and McDavid still without a contract, he’s got all of Oil Country sweating. It looks like McDavid’s successfully used his leverage now - so when will he actually sign?
Connor McDavid contract hold up will cause even more questions as regular season begins
On a recent edition of OilersNow insider Elliotte Friedman reiterated his belief that McDavid will sign, but he wants to send a message first.
To me, what this is all about is that McDavid wants to win so bad. The two losses the last two years have bothered him so much, I think this is his way of making sure the Oilers know how much winning matters to him. In case you’re not 100% certain that he is completely consumed with winning, he’s making things a little bit uncomfortable just to make sure everybody’s aware of it. - Elliotte Friedman
But if making a point is all McDavid intends to do, he’s made it already by not signing until this point. If he enters the regular season unsigned, there could be something else going on.
The Oilers captain has been clear that he sees a path for Edmonton to win the Stanley Cup this season. Beyond that is uncertain. With an aging roster and not many top prospects, the Oilers could be in a difficult spot after this year.
McDavid could be waiting to evaluate how the team actually performs through the season, and into the playoffs. There’s no other way to truly evaluate the state of the team.
If McDavid doesn't re-sign by the start of the season, then when will it be? @frank_seravalli pic.twitter.com/MQ4knZ8drD
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 30, 2025
There’s little doubt from the top Oilers insiders that McDavid will re-sign to stay in Edmonton - but for now, he’s enforcing his leverage over management more than was originally thought possible.