Connor McDavid Has 'Every Intention' Of Winning In Edmonton As Talks On An Extension Continue
McDavid is in Calgary for Hockey Canada's National Teams Orientation Camp
I'm just going to warn you now: one of the biggest stories of the upcoming NHL season will be the Edmonton Oilers' quest to cut a deal on an extension with captain and franchise centerpiece Connor McDavid.
Until his future gets figured out, it's going to be a major talking point, but it sounds like McDavid certainly wants to re-up with the team based on his recent comments.
McDavid is in Calgary for Hockey Canada's National Teams Orientation Camp this week, and TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported that the Oilers and McDavid have yet to get into serious negotiations.
There's no timeline for when a deal could get done with McDavid, and his agent is currently assessing their options.
Despite slow talks, McDavid’s comments should give Oilers fans hope.
"Like I said in June, I had every intention to take my time with it, and I still feel the same way," McDavid said after joking that the reporter didn't start with a softball question about the Olympics. "(I'm going to) take my time and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton."
McDavid said he didn't have a preference whether a deal was in place before the season or not, but noted that he didn't want the situation to be a distraction.
"So, you know, whenever that time is, is, is fine with me. Like I said, I have every intention to win in Edmonton. That's the focus. The rest will take care of itself."
That sounds pretty good, but while McDavid may not seem too concerned about how long this might take, the Oilers sure will.
The longer this goes on, the more pressure there could be to move McDavid ahead of the deadline, especially if it looks like the team could fall short of another Cup Final appearance.
Because the worst possible scenario for the Oilers would be McDavid hitting free agency and signing elsewhere without them getting anything in return for the best player on the planet.
Those would be bad times in Edmonton.