Connor McDavid scores his 1st goal of the preseason (0:36)Connor McDavid finds the back of the net for the Oilers. (0:36)
Greg WyshynskiOct 6, 2025, 01:02 PM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on X
Star center Connor McDavid will remain with the Edmonton Oilers after signing a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $12.5 million, the team announced Monday.
Less than two hours after signing McDavid, the Oilers inked defenseman Jake Walman to a seven-year, $49 million extension that will also start next season.
McDavid made his decision Monday morning, an NHL source told ESPN, and the contract talks were completed within hours.
McDavid, 28, is considered by many to be the best hockey player in the world. He has 1,082 points in 712 career games, with 361 goals. He has won five scoring titles and three Hart Trophies as regular-season MVP. In 2024, he became the second skater ever to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in a losing effort.
McDavid has led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in two straight seasons, but they’ve lost to the Florida Panthers both times.
“Connor’s commitment to our team and our city is surpassed only by his singular focus on bringing a Stanley Cup back to fans of the Edmonton Oilers,” general manager Stan Bowman said.
It was also expected that McDavid would take a team-friendly contract — nowhere near Kirill Kaprizov’s recent deal with the Minnesota Wild, which set NHL records for overall value ($136 million) and AAV ($17 million) on an eight-year term.
Walman, who arrived last season in a trade from the San Jose Sharks, provides the Oilers with another puck-moving defenseman in addition to Evan Bouchard. Walman had eight points in 15 games with Edmonton as part of a season that saw him score a career-high 40 points in 65 games between both teams.
Walman, 29, had 10 points in 22 games while averaging a little more than 20 minutes per game in the postseason. His extension means the Oilers have long-term deals in place for three of their top-six defensemen in a group that also includes Nurse and Bouchard, who is entering the first season of a four-year contract worth $10.5 million annually.
Connor McDavid scores his 1st goal of the preseason (0:36)Connor McDavid finds the back of the net for the Oilers. (0:36)
Connor McDavid finds the back of the net for the Oilers. (0:36)
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on X
Our journey here continues 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/7YytCvszz2