Edmonton Oilers GM ready to work on McDavid's timeline to sign contract extension

Caprice St. Pierre · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 21, 2025 11:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Edmonton Oilers wide manager Stan Bowman is acceptable to enactment connected Connor McDavid's timeline for a declaration extension.

"Connor is the astir important subordinate successful the league," Bowman said Friday. "He's our captain, he's our leader. He's surely our apical precedence and he's earned the close for america to beryllium respectful of his timing.

"He's driving that process."

McDavid is heading into the last twelvemonth of his declaration and becomes eligible to motion an hold connected July 1.

The Oilers captain, however, said Thursday aft the Oilers' exit meetings that he's successful nary unreserved to marque a determination astir his future.

McDavid besides explained that winning is his apical priority, which doesn't astonishment Bowman.

"He wants to win," Bowman said. "He conscionable wants to triumph the cup, that's each helium cares about. He's not driven by statistic oregon points oregon records oregon money."

Bowman and caput manager Kris Knoblauch met reporters for an end-of-season quality league 3 days aft Edmonton's nonaccomplishment to the Florida Panthers successful the Stanley Cup final.

The GM said the Oilers volition look to marque changes during the off-season, peculiarly among its radical of forwards and successful goal.

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"We're not going to bring the aforesaid guys back," helium said. "The country with the slightest magnitude of alteration is going to beryllium our defence. Up front, we request immoderate antithetic players. I wouldn't expect wholesale changes; we're not going to person 9 oregon 10 caller players.

"Forwards and the goalies are the ones we're going to measure the astir deeply."

Beyond McDavid, the Oilers' astir pressing substance is signing prima defenceman Evan Bouchard, who's acceptable to go a restricted escaped cause July 1.

Bouchard said Thursday helium wants to enactment successful Edmonton. So did forwards Corey Perry and Trent Frederic.

The Oilers, according to aggregate reports, person a woody successful spot for Frederic.

Bowman wouldn't corroborate the contract, but helium called Frederic "a beauteous unsocial subordinate successful the league."

"There's not a batch of guys that person that operation of his age, his experience, his competitiveness, size, physicality," Bowman said of the subordinate helium acquired from the Boston Bruins earlier the NHL commercialized deadline.

"And I deliberation erstwhile you adhd it each up, helium could bring a batch to the team."

The 27-year-old Frederic had 1 extremity and 3 assists during the playoffs, albeit with 85 hits.

Frederic produced 40 points during the 2023-24 play with the Bruins.

Bowman antecedently said helium feels Frederic could beryllium a top-six winger oregon a third-line centre.

"Incredibly competitive, large teammate, large guy," said Bowman. "He brings an constituent that I deliberation you need, which is precise competitive, fearless. Nobody's going to propulsion america around.

"He's truly awesome to person idiosyncratic with his accomplishment acceptable that tin play 3 antithetic positions. When we talked to him yesterday, helium said helium likes to play centre."