Oilers Stuck in “Doom and Gloom” McDavid Cycle, Says Source

The Edmonton Oilers are staring down one of the most uncertain chapters in franchise history. With Connor McDavid’s contract extension still unresolved, league sources suggest the team could face ripple effects beyond simply whether their captain stays or goes.

According to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, a source suggests that McDavid’s delay is already impacting the team’s ability to sign free agents. And, with many believing McDavid might sign a shorter-term deal, players who were once flocking to the Oilers are no longer so sure that Edmonton is the team to join.

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Nugent-Bowman writes:

“One league source noted that the uncertainty with a short-term contract could discourage some higher-profile players from signing with the Oilers. The source added that management would have to consider how any decision could impact McDavid — even more so than now.”

The second part of that quote is also intriguing, seeing that it sounds like the Oilers are tiptoeing around, trying to make sure that any move they do or don’t make works well for McDavid. Sign the wrong player, and McDavid could be disappointed in the team’s direction. Not signing a certain player, and McDavid might wonder why the Oilers didn’t make a move.

The Oilers have already gotten in the habit of talking to McDavid about big decisions, but management has always said he doesn’t want to play GM. Are the Oilers now thinking he’s playing manager in his mind and overly cautious that they don’t make a move he disapproves of? Being caught in a state of paralysis is counterproductive.

The scribe adds, “It all seems like doom and gloom for the Oilers. Either McDavid walks, or there’s the potential for him to put the team in just as big a bind as it’s in now, if not a bigger one.”

The uncertainty alone makes it harder to recruit, the source explained, suggesting free agents may hesitate to tie their futures to a team that could lose the league’s best player in a few years.

One example of this might be found in Pierre LeBrun’s report that the Oilers failed to land Jack Roslovic. While it could be that Roslovic wanted a long-term deal and the Oilers weren’t prepared to give it to him, the UFA didn’t rush to Edmonton like other past UFAs have over the past couple of years. LeBrun reports that Edmonton offered a deal and Roslovic declined. Is that the McDavid effect?

If McDavid walks from the Oilers, the team may no longer be a top destination for players who saw an opportunity to play with the best player in the world. And, until he inks a new deal, the Oilers have to be cautious not to make a move that turns McDavid away. It’s clear he is watching and waiting for a “feeling” that Edmonton is where he should stay.

For now, the Oilers remain under the shadow of their captain’s decision.

Next: Leon Draisaitl Seemingly Confirms Worrisome McDavid Rumor