Connor McDavid\'s agent notified Edmonton Oilers management of the superstar\'s contract decision just one hour before the deal became public Monday, requesting the same $12.5 million annual salary he\'s earned since 2017, league sources told The Athletic.
Agent Judd Moldaver called general manager Stan Bowman and CEO Jeff Jackson at 9:45 a.m. Mountain Time with McDavid\'s decision. The two-year extension came after months of discussions that Bowman said focused entirely on the team\'s competitive vision rather than financial terms.
The discussions began over dinner in late June but never involved traditional contract negotiations. Bowman described the process as a dialogue about organizational direction rather than back-and-forth on money or term.
\"This is unique,\" Bowman told reporters. \"It was really more of a dialogue and a conversation throughout the last few months and really nothing to do with the contract itself. Usually, when you have a negotiation, it\'s more about back-and-forths on the term or the structure of the deal, but that was never talked about.\"
McDavid could have commanded the maximum 20 percent salary permitted under the CBA, currently $19.1 million annually. Instead, he accepted a deal that will see him earn less than Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million), teammate Leon Draisaitl ($14 million), Auston Matthews ($13.25 million) and Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million) starting in 2026-27.
Sources indicate McDavid\'s camp identified $15 million as the maximum he could earn while maintaining roster flexibility. The 28-year-old ultimately chose $12.5 million to strengthen Edmonton\'s championship window after consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances.
\"Honestly, I\'m being genuine when I say that every conversation I\'ve had with Connor or Judd over the summer and the previous weeks, we never once talked about money because this is a unique situation,\" Bowman said. \"It\'s not about the money for Connor.\"
The contract will be paid almost exclusively in signing bonuses, with $13.4 million due next summer and $9.85 million in 2027. McDavid has averaged 125 points per 82 games over his 10-year career, winning five scoring titles, four Ted Lindsay Awards, three Hart Trophies and the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy.