The Edmonton Oilers cap challenges are not and shouldn't be Connor McDavid's problem: 9 Things

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Will he? Won’t he?

For how much? And for how long?

The questions surrounding the contract status of Connor McDavid is the main focus in the latest edition of…

9 Things

9. Congratulations to Andrew and Claudia Mangiapane on the birth of their baby boy A.J. It is a reminder that like us, NHL players have lives away from hockey and share many of the hopes and dreams that we do.

8. A lot of chatter out there about possible PTOs. Two skaters who I have written about in the recent past are still possibilities for the Oilers. Former Oiler Klim Kostin is one. Alberta kid Brett Leason is another.

7. The Oilers have let D-man Luca Munzenberger walk. Edmonton held his rights up until Friday, when they expired and no offer to remain in the organization was forthcoming. It was clear the jig was up when he did not join Bakersfield after his season at the University of Vermont ended.

6. Connor McDavid is rated #1 in NHL.com’s 2025-26 Oilers Fantasy Rankings, with a point projection of 135. His buddy Leon Draisaitl is number two (114). Evan Bouchard is pegged at 86. Zach Hyman at 68. And Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is ranked fifth at 64 points. That would eclipse The Nuge’s 49 last campaign. More on McDavid in a minute…

5. An unknows in this upcoming season for the Oilers is the status of Stuart Skinner. Despite helping his club make it to The Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back years, an upgrade could be in the cards. But if Skinner grabs the net and runs with it, he could pass a couple legendary Oilers in Games Played. He is just three behind Curtis Joseph, only twenty-two behind Dwayne Roloson for sixth all-time.

4. The Oilers were the only club in the NHL last season to finish in the top four in O-zone time in all four situations: All Strengths (43.8), at Even strength (43.2), The Power Play (61.0) and on the P.K. (31.2). And three Edmonton Oilers were among the top ten individually at All Strength, Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman. Mattias Ekholm was sixth at Even Strength (47.5).

3. The Bakersfield Condors have extended AHL contracts to four players new to the organization: Forwards Matt Brown and Trevor Kanicke have inked 1-year deals, as have D-men Mats Lindgren and Luke Prokop. The undersized Brown had 47 points in 39 games for BU in 2022-23. Kanicke is a right shot Center out of Notre Dame. Lindgren is a left shot D who can move the puck. Solid minor-pro-options for Keith Gretzky.

2. Of those four guys, Edmonton fans are likely most familiar with Prokop who was an Edmonton Oil King when the won a WHL Championship in 2022. Never bad to have organizational depth in the form of a 6’6, right-shot defender who can skate. And the hometown kid is just twenty-three. Prokop has been stuck in the AHL in Nashville’s system but he has got some game. Of the four guys inked, Prokop is the guy who I could see getting an NHL shot if injuries strike the big club. Strong signing. Now it’s your move, Luke.

1.The one thing hockey fans everywhere are waiting for, and no more so than in Edmonton, is a contract extension for Connor McDavid. When will it happen? For How much? And for how long? On the when front, I believe right now that McDavid will sign before the regular season begins. Maybe even before training camp. There is no way on earth that a guy who hates talking about himself in public will want to trudge through the season with that question hanging out there night after night. Not chance. Not even a little one. But what about the “how much”?

The maximum Connor McDavid can sign for under the salary cap would be 20% of the club’s hit. And it is impossible to say he has not earned that. But there are some already suggesting that it would be wise for Connor to take a hometown discount, leaving some cash left over to sign other assets. Load up for another Stanley Cup run. And look: Under the heading “Manage the Cap”, I do get the thinking. But lets be real: Who among us given a comparable opportunity would not max out and grin all the way to the bank?

The fact of the matter is Connor McDavid does not owe the Oilers or Edmonton anything. He has done everything for the franchise short of a cup. Compared to his contributions and statistics, he has been underpaid. If Connor McDavid does choose a dollar figure in an extension lower than what he is entitled to, then that is his business. But no one should expect or ask Connor to do that. You hand the contract over to him with the amount blank.

Yes, the Oilers are in a bit of a tight cap squeeze. The club needs to deal with the issues that have left them in that position. Agreed. Deal with those.

But 97 is not one of those issues.

Now on Bluesky @kurtleavins.bsky.social. Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social.

This article is not AI generated.

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