McDavid: Short deal puts urgency on winning Stanley Cup

For Connor McDavid, the motivation behind extending his stay with the Edmonton Oilers was fueled by one thing… winning.

A day after agreeing to a two-year, $25 million extension and ending the speculation around his future with the team, McDavid spoke for the first time to reporters, saying it reaffirms his commitment to winning in Edmonton.

“I said I was committed to winning here and I meant that,” McDavid said. “Two years makes a lot of sense. Gives us a chance to continue chasing down what we’ve been chasing down with the core guys that have been here and have money to work with.”

McDavid had no problems not taking an increased salary and was not looking to sign long-term. He also believes that signing a shorter-term deal focuses the urgency on winning now.

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What was more important to him was maximizing the competitive window for the Oilers.

“I think everyone understands the situation this room and this organization is in. We want to win top to bottom,” McDavid said. “If it lends urgency, that’s a good byproduct.

“Obviously, there’s no secret that with a team that pushes forward every year like we have, we’ve given up first-round picks and prospects. I think two years gives us a chance to play this out. Gives us every opportunity to build something here.”

The pressure is now on Edmonton to finally reach its ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.

The Oilers and McDavid have come oh-so-close to doing just that in the past two seasons, seeing their title hopes dashed by the same Florida Panthers team in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances.

For his part, McDavid has continued to produce at a near-unprecedented level throughout his 10-year NHL career. Over 67 regular-season games in 2024-25, the 28-year-old totalled 100 points and 26 goals — totals that were labelled a “down season” for Edmonton’s captain.

McDavid has consistently ranked among the NHL’s leading point-getters, having collected 1,082 of them in just 712 career games and sits third in league history with his 1.52 points per game.