Sense Is That Connor McDavid Could Leave Without Oilers Improvements

Everything the Edmonton Oilers do this offseason will be under a major microscope—not just because the hockey world is watching closely, but because Connor McDavid is as well, and as intently as ever.

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The world’s best player is desperate to win a championship, and a six-game first-round loss to the Anaheim Ducks was a significant step back in his pursuit of doing so as an Oiler.

Combine that with his short-term contract extension and the fact that McDavid will turn 30 in January, and the pressure is at an all-time high in Edmonton. The Oilers have the opportunity to make meaningful improvements this summer and return to Stanley Cup contention in 2026-27. However, if that doesn’t happen, insider David Pagnotta revealed there is a sense McDavid could be gone soon after.

Pagnotta said:

“A similar situation is unfolding in Edmonton. The Oilers are in win-now mode as Connor McDavid enters his two-year contract extension starting July 1, so this is about far more than simple tinkering with the roster.

McDavid and fellow superstar Leon Draisaitl made is clear this season that the Oilers need meaningful improvements. Otherwise, there is a sense that McDavid’s future in Edmonton may not extend beyond the 2027-28 season,”

The 29-year-old McDavid will, of course, be entering the first year of the two-year, $25 million extension he signed with the Oilers in October.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given how things have unfolded in recent years, though it does reiterate the importance of the upcoming season.

Not only could it determine McDavid’s future, but it will almost certainly have a domino effect on Leon Draisaitl, who was just as outspoken about his displeasure with Edmonton’s early playoff exit.

Everyone around the league knows the goal—and the timeline—the Oilers are working under. Now it’s time to see whether they can execute.

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