The Edmonton Oilers and their fans have been able to breathe much easier the last few days.
Connor McDavid's decision to extend his time in Edmonton for another two years beyond this upcoming season immediately shifted the mood from a tense, nervous energy to pure joy and excitement.
It had been a stressful couple of months in Oil Country, as their captain grappled with the possibility of a future elsewhere.
In the aftermath of McDavid re-signing, many will be quick to shut down the thought that he even considered leaving Edmonton; however, the superstar center revealed himself that no stone was left unturned throughout the process, including potentially testing free agency.
TSN shared the video of McDavid's response to a question about said topic on X (formerly Twitter).
"I said everything was on the table, and I meant it then too. Of course, of course everything was on the table; that's the point of being in that situation. You have your options, but ultimately our heart's here in Edmonton. Our heart's here with the core guys, with the guys in this room, as I alluded to. Obviously the city and the fans are important to us, and we want to win here; we want to bring it back here and make our city proud. But mostly for the guys in this room, we've been through a lot together, and to see it through together is important," McDavid said.
"Everything was on the table, that's the point of being in that situation, you know you have your options but ultimately, our heart's here in Edmonton. Our heart's here with the core guys."
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 7, 2025
Connor McDavid on potentially exploring free agency: pic.twitter.com/7X5WLQ8EES
The 28-year-old, of course, wound up signing a two-year, $25 million extension with the Oilers that will kick in at the start of the 2026-27 season.
The Oilers are now on the clock
While getting Connor McDavid to sign an extension is all the Edmonton Oilers ever wanted, the short-term deal puts plenty of pressure on the organization and team over these next two years.
McDavid has said and continues to say that his number one priority is to win, and while the Oilers have come close of late, it wasn't good enough, and it won't get any easier moving forward.
If in two years' time McDavid is still without a championship, then we could find ourselves in the exact same situation we did this summer, though the potential that the world's best player flees for a new home would be much more likely.
All of that being said, the contract gives Edmonton a window to do everything possible to bring the Stanley Cup north of the border, and McDavid and the Oilers will begin their quest to do so tonight at home against the rival Calgary Flames.