According to some, <a href="http://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a> captain Connor McDavid could be signing that big extension sooner rather than later.

Daily Faceoff reporter Anthony Di Marco had his weekly Mailbag, where fans asked him questions about all things hockey. X user Skaswatch asked whether McDavid or Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov would sign their extensions first, and if they were playing &#8220;Extension Chicken&#8221; with one another.
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Are McDavid and Kaprizov playing &quot;Extension Chicken&quot; with each other, waiting to see who comes in first for what? And which team does it hurt more if it bleeds into the 2026 trade deadline territory?
&mdash; Skaswatch (@Skaswatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/Skaswatch/status/1955002953888325975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Di Marco negated the debate between the two stars, stating that McDavid will be the one walking away with the big bucks, and sooner rather than later.
<blockquote>
&#8220;Connor McDavid is going to be the highest-paid player in the NHL – full stop,&#8221; Di Marco wrote. &#8220;He doesn’t have to wait to see what any other player signs for to punch his ticket to the highest of ranks in the NHL. My best guess is that McDavid is taking his time chipping away at his new contract with the Edmonton Oilers as he mourns another Stanley Cup Final loss over the summer; if I’m a betting man, McDavid signs with the Oilers before the start of the regular season.&#8221;
</blockquote>
The dollar amount for the Richmond Hill, Ont. native&#8217;s <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/connor-mcdavid-contract-extension-projection-edmonton-oilers">next deal has been debated</a>, with some saying he should make the maximum allowable salary of $19.1 million, while others think it could<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/insider-ballparks-connor-mcdavid-four-year-extension-edmonton-oilers"> be a shorter-term contract. </a>
Insider Frank Seravalli said that the contract numbers between the Oilers and McDavid&#8217;s camp <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/numbers-havent-been-exchanged-edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-contract-extension">&#8220;haven’t even been exchanged yet.&#8221;</a> It has led to a slight bit of nervousness among fans in Edmonton, with some hoping that No. 97 would&#8217;ve signed on July 1, when he was first eligible to sign an extension.
All this to say, patience is key for both fans and the team as they go through the negotiations. With his friend and longtime teammate Leon Draisaitl beginning his eight-year, $112 million contract this season, there are many reasons McDavid will want to stay with the team that took him first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
McDavid has led the Oilers&#8217; resurgence over the past decade. In 712 regular-season games, he has scored 361 goals and 721 assists for 1,082 points, with another 106 points coming in 96 Stanley Cup Playoff affairs. Along with leading Edmonton to back-to-back finals appearances, bringing back the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024, the 28-year-old has won the Art Ross Trophy five times, the Ted Lindsay Award four times, the Hart Trophy thrice, and one Maurice &#8220;Rocket&#8221; Richard Trophy in 2022-23.

According to some, <a href="http://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a> captain Connor McDavid could be signing that big extension sooner rather than later.



Daily Faceoff reporter Anthony Di Marco had his weekly Mailbag, where fans asked him questions about all things hockey. X user Skaswatch asked whether McDavid or Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov would sign their extensions first, and if they were playing "Extension Chicken" with one another.

https://twitter.com/Skaswatch/status/1955002953888325975

Di Marco negated the debate between the two stars, stating that McDavid will be the one walking away with the big bucks, and sooner rather than later.
<blockquote>
"Connor McDavid is going to be the highest-paid player in the NHL – full stop," Di Marco wrote. "He doesn’t have to wait to see what any other player signs for to punch his ticket to the highest of ranks in the NHL. My best guess is that McDavid is taking his time chipping away at his new contract with the Edmonton Oilers as he mourns another Stanley Cup Final loss over the summer; if I’m a betting man, McDavid signs with the Oilers before the start of the regular season."
</blockquote>
The dollar amount for the Richmond Hill, Ont. native's <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/connor-mcdavid-contract-extension-projection-edmonton-oilers">next deal has been debated</a>, with some saying he should make the maximum allowable salary of $19.1 million, while others think it could<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/insider-ballparks-connor-mcdavid-four-year-extension-edmonton-oilers"> be a shorter-term contract. </a>

Insider Frank Seravalli said that the contract numbers between the Oilers and McDavid's camp <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/numbers-havent-been-exchanged-edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-contract-extension">"haven’t even been exchanged yet."</a> It has led to a slight bit of nervousness among fans in Edmonton, with some hoping that No. 97 would've signed on July 1, when he was first eligible to sign an extension.

All this to say, patience is key for both fans and the team as they go through the negotiations. With his friend and longtime teammate Leon Draisaitl beginning his eight-year, $112 million contract this season, there are many reasons McDavid will want to stay with the team that took him first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.

McDavid has led the Oilers' resurgence over the past decade. In 712 regular-season games, he has scored 361 goals and 721 assists for 1,082 points, with another 106 points coming in 96 Stanley Cup Playoff affairs. Along with leading Edmonton to back-to-back finals appearances, bringing back the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024, the 28-year-old has won the Art Ross Trophy five times, the Ted Lindsay Award four times, the Hart Trophy thrice, and one Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2022-23.

Daily Faceoff: McDavid will sign extension before start of regular season

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