The Connor McDavid contract saga is the talk of the hockey world and is only going to grow louder with every passing day.
McDavid could have settled this already by signing an extension, and he also could have shut down speculation in his recent media availability. Instead, the world's best player has remained very noncommittal and in no rush to make any decision.
That, of course, has led to a rampage of rumors and questions about his future and whether leaving Edmonton could actually be a consideration. We are still very early in this process, and things can change with one phone call, but as of right now, it's starting to feel a lot more real than anybody could have expected.
TSN insider Chris Johnston knows that, and when asked whether he thinks McDavid will have an extension done by the start of the season, he leaned no.
"If you had to pin me down, my guess is the season will start without him signing an extension," Johnston said.
Chris Johnston: Re McDavid extension: If you had to pin me down, my guess is the season will start without him signing an extension - TSN (8/27)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) August 28, 2025
The 28-year-old would be entering the final season of the eight-year, $100 million contract extension he inked with the Oilers back in 2017.
Everything revolves around McDavid
NHL fans have been rather disappointed with the lack of activity throughout the offseason, especially after many had said this would be a summer full of trades, given the weak free agent class.
Could general managers be sitting on their hands because of the uncertainty surrounding Connor McDavid's future? It's fair to wonder, because every single team in the league would want the ability to offer McDavid a contract if the crazy possibility of him hitting free agency came to fruition.
Superstars are very rarely available in the NHL, let alone generational talents that could go down as one of the best to ever lace up the skates. So, maybe we shouldn't expect much until this gets resolved.