Bowman: McDavid extension is Oilers top priority, will explore goaltending changes
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Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said Friday that extending star centre Connor McDavid is the team's top priority this off-season.
Bowman said McDavid has earned the right to dictate the timeline on contract talks but said the Oilers will be ready once he decides to open negotiations.
“Connor’s the best player in the league, the most important player in the league,” Bowman told reporters. “He’s our captain, he’s our leader, so certainly, he’s the number one priority.
"I think also listening to Connor’s take on things, he’s earned the right for us to be respectful of his timing. Certainly, we’re eager to meet with him whenever he wants, but we also understand he just went through a really rough ending to the season. So, timing-wise, Connor’s going to drive that process, but there’s no question he’s a pivotal player on our team and not just what he does on the ice, but his leadership.
“I’ve had a chance to work with him now this year and have just been so impressed with things you guys probably don’t see - how good of a teammate he is. He’s incredibly important to our group, and whenever he’s ready, we’re going to dive into that.”
His comments come one day after McDavid said he's feeling no pressure to get an extension worked out for July 1, when he will officially enter the final year of his current deal.
"It's only been a couple days since the season ended," McDavid told reporters at the team's season-ending availability. "Take some time to regroup. Talk to my agent a little bit, and family and all that, and make some decisions whenever that time comes. But there's no rush."
When asked what his focus is on when committing to his future on his next deal, McDavid replied that claiming his first career Stanley Cup trumps all else.
"Winning would be at the top of the list,” McDavid said. “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 Tuesday by the Florida Panthers for the second straight year.
"We're holding this together, trying to get it over the finish line," McDavid added of falling just short once again. "With that being said, ultimately still need to do what's best for me and my family, and that's who you have to take care of first."
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 in 2026.
Oilers expecting changes at forward, goaltender
The Oilers enter this off-season with $11.96 million in cap space and 19 players under contract for next season. Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network reported Wednesday the Oilers were closing on an eight-year contract with pending UFA Trent Frederic worth roughly $4 million a year. Bowman said there's nothing to confirm yet on Frederic, but said he believes the 27-year-old could play both the wing and centre for the team in the future if he stays.
Blueliner Evan Bouchard tops the list of pending restricted free agents for the Oilers, with McDavid stating Thursday signing him is “definitely a deal that needs to get done.”
Bowman said Friday he expects the defence to remain largely intact this summer.
“The defence will have the least number of changes," Bowman said. "I like how they played. The forwards and goalies is where we will have some changes."
The general manager said he did not want to "single out" goaltending, but noted the team will explore changes at the position. He argued the Oilers had the better goaltending in each of their first three playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars before Sergei Bobrovsky outplayed Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in the Stanley Cup Final.