McDavid says he has 'every intention to win in Edmonton' amid extension talks

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid said Wednesday he has "every intention to win in Edmonton" while he remains without a contract extension in place.

TSN's Ryan Rishaug reports McDavid has yet to discuss dollars or term on a contract extension with the Oilers, adding his camp is working through what the options are and what the ask will look like.

"I said at the end of June I had every intention to take my time with it and I still feel the same way," McDavid said. "I'll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton. It's my only focus, maybe next to winning a gold medal with Canada.

"I'll take my time going through it with my family, my agent and everybody involved. We're going through it slowly."

McDavid, who spoke Wednesday while attending Hockey Canada's National Teams Orientation Camp in Calgary, became eligible to sign a new deal on July 1. He said he's willing to enter the new season without a contract extension in place, though he's hoping to avoid any distractions for the Oilers.

"All options are on the table really,"  McDavid said. "We're going through it. I don't have a preference either way. I want to the group to be as focused and dialed in and ready to roll from Day 1 as much as possible and we don't need any distractions.

"I'm going to take my time with it and that's it."

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said last month he's been "very encouraged" by the early talks he's held with McDavid's camp, though he had yet to dive too deep into negotiations. 

“I’ve had really good conversations with Judd since the season ended, and I’ve tried to give Connor his space, and I think that it’s important,” Bowman told Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer on CHED 880 Edmonton. “You know, a lot of this is respecting the athlete and their timeline.

"So we haven’t had any of those types of detailed discussions yet, but we certainly will, and I think we’re very encouraged by all the conversations I’ve had to date. And when the time comes, the time comes.”

Bowman added that he expected more conversations to take place, but did not have a timeline for completing a new contract.

McDavid told reporters after the Oilers' season ended in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year that a commitment to winning was a paramount to where he would sign his next deal.

"Winning would be at the top of the list,” McDavid said on June 19. “It's the most important thing. If I feel that there's a good window to win here, over and over again, then signing is no problem.

"It's only been a couple of days. I'm sure we'll get into it over the course of the next couple of weeks, but I'm not in a rush to make any decision, so I don't think that there needs to be any timeline. I know people are going to look at that July 1 day and be looking to see if there's anything done. But for me, I'm just not in a rush that way." 

McDavid, 28, recorded 26 goals and 100 points in 67 games with the Oilers last season. He added seven goals and 33 points in 22 playoff games before his team was eliminated in the Stanley Cup Final by the Florida Panthers for the second straight year. 

The 6-foot-1 centre is entering the final season of an eight-year, $100 million contract with an annual cap hit of $12.5 million. He is eligible to hit unrestricted free agency next summer.