Connor McDavid Sounds Off on Oilers’ Offseason & Team Outlook

Connor McDavid attended the NHL Media Day held in Las Vegas on September 11 and he offered his perspective on the Edmonton Oilers’ offseason, his expectations for the upcoming campaign, and the impact of teammate Leon Draisaitl’s recent contract extension on his future.

With Draisaitl now signed for eight more years for a massive $112 million at a $14 million annual cap hit , McDavid admitted that his friend’s long-term commitment with the Oilers will influence his own decision when the time comes.

"A lot of things go into deciding where you’re gonna play and how long you’re gonna play there," McDavid said on September 11, via The Athletic's Michael Russo . "But Leon signing his big deal would certainly, knowing that he’ll be there, go into that decision, amongst many other things."

Draisaitl himself acknowledged that while McDavid’s future was a factor in re-signing in Edmonton, both players are focused on building a team that can compete for championships.

“We’ve got a lot of great people in our organization that are really smart hockey people that will put a team around us that can compete for the Stanley Cup for many years to come,” Draisaitl said.

Expanding on the Oilers’ offseason, one that saw the franchise bring in (among others) Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, and Vasily Podkolzin while losing Sam Carrick, Cody Ceci, Philip Broberg, and Dylan Holloway, McDavid acknowledged some mixed emotions.

“If you asked me this question Aug. 1, I would have said, ‘Great offseason,'" McDavid said. "Here we are Sept. 11, and we had to lose some guys along the way, and that’s unfortunate, but that’s the cap system."

McDavid, however, remains optimistic about the team’s future coming off a Stanley Cup Final run in which they forced Game 7 after falling down 0-3 to the Florida Panthers, ultimately losing the cup.

“Good teams have good players, and it’s tough to keep them all together,” McDavid said. “But I think we improved in some areas, and maybe we took a step back in different areas, but I know the management team and players from within the organization are gonna step up and fill roles that need to be filled.”

Related: Insider Predicts Humongous Oilers' Connor McDavid Contract Extension