McDavid contract a great deal for Oilers

October 20, 2025

key points from this story:McDavid signs two-year $12.5M dealContract valued below star-tier salariesAims to win Stanley Cup with OilersDeal offers payroll flexibility for teamGoaltending remains a weak Oilers spotFuture free agency could bring huge pay

Connor McDavid could have asked for the moon, and Edmonton Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz would have somehow arranged to have it pulled from the sky. But the 28-year-old superstar hockey player stunned the National Hockey League just before the start of the 2025-26 season by signing a two-year contract for, basically, second-line centre money.

While he and his wife Lauren won’t have to visit neighbourhood food banks after agreeing to accept $12.5 million U.S. per year for two seasons, McDavid sent a stark message to the Oilers, confirming that his No. 1 incentive is not to be the highest-paid player in the NHL, but to win the Stanley Cup — and to win it wearing the Oilers’ blue and orange.