Now that the Edmonton Oilers have superstar center Connor McDavid locked up for an extra two years, they can focus on winning a Stanley Cup title.
The Oilers are set to open the season Wednesday evening against the visiting Calgary Flames, two days after McDavid signed a two-year contract extension with Edmonton.
“It’s about winning, and that’s always what I’ve preached,” McDavid said. “This deal gives both sides what they’re looking for.”
McDavid has scored 361 goals and contributed 721 assists in 712 regular-season games for the Oilers since he debuted with the team exactly 10 years ago.
He’s won the Art Ross Trophy five times as the league’s top point scorer and captured the Conn Smythe Trophy last summer as the most valuable player in the postseason.
The contract will pay $25 million overall for the two years. The $12.5 million cap hit is the same as he signed eight years ago.
“I guess it’s a unique situation,” McDavid said. “We weren’t going to sign a long-term deal, so two years at that number makes a lot of sense. It gives us a chance to extend our window here in Edmonton.”
The Oilers also return Leon Draisaitl, who won the Art Ross Trophy in 2020 and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy last season as the NHL’s leading goal scorer.
McDavid and Draisaitl typically don’t play on the same line, but they will at the start of this season on the top line with Trent Frederic.
The Oilers are expected to be without defenseman Jake Walman, who has an undisclosed injury.
Alec Regula is likely to take Walman’s spot alongside Darnell Nurse, and Ike Howard is being recalled from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League to fill the roster spot.
The Flames went 1-1-1 against the Oilers last season and they’re looking to improve across the board.
They’ll have to compensate for the absences of forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil, who will begin the season on injured reserve.
Huberdeau, who had two sub-par seasons in Calgary before finishing second on the team with 62 points last season (28 goals, 34 assists), was injured when he collided with goalie Kevin Lankinen in a preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks last Wednesday.
Pospisil, who had four goals and 21 assists in 81 games with Calgary last season, also missed the final preseason game Friday with an undisclosed injury.
“That’s my hope,” said Flames coach Ryan Huska when asked if the injuries to Huberdeau and Pospisil were considered short term.
Calgary recalled forward Sam Honzek from its AHL affiliate.
Zayne Parekh, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Flames, also made the opening-night roster, but it’s likely he’ll be a healthy scratch.
The Flames believe Huska is the person to get them back in the playoffs after missing out the past three seasons, signing him to a two-year contract extension last week.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this team and to build on the foundation we’ve started,” Huska said. “I believe in this group, in their character, talent, and potential. I’m excited about the direction we are heading.”
