"I don't think there's anybody more committed to Edmonton than Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl... I expect the next contract to be a seven-year extension." @Bob_Stauffer joins @Mattymar89 and @FutaMichael to discuss the ongoing conversation surrounding McDavid's future.
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McDavid expected to sign seven-year extension with Oilers: Stauffer
Photo credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Jun 9, 2026, 16:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 9, 2026, 15:59 EDT
With the news of Mike Babcock becoming the Edmonton Oilers’ next head coach all but official, Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer believes Connor McDavid will be an Oiler for a long time to come.
As a guest on The Fan 590, Stauffer said he believes McDavid will sign a massive extension to remain with the team.
“I don’t think there’s anybody more committed to Edmonton than Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl,” said Bob Stauffer. “I expect the next contract McDavid signs to be a seven-year extension. I remind your viewers that’s the max term length carrying over with the little adjustment to the CBA.”
Since Monday afternoon, it’s been a whirlwind of talk around Oilersnation with the impending news that Mike Babcock will be hired, provided there is no issues with the NHLPA. Babcock hasn’t been behind an NHL bench since November 2019, when he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He was hired briefly by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but never coached a game, after making younger players uncomfortable by looking through their phones, prompting NHLPA involvement.
The insiders have all said that the Oilers leadership group met with Babcock and don’t have objections to the former Stanley Cup winner and two-time Olympic gold medallist.
“You empower to get players involved, that’s the way of the future,” said Stauffer.
“It’s already been occurring for years in the NBA. Josh Allen, was he part of the selection process Terry Pegula with the Buffalo Bills? I bet he was. When you empower the players, I think you get greater conviction from them.
“The players have never been a bigger part of the partnership of the league. From ownership to management to the players, everybody’s 100 per cent with Mike Babcock.”
McDavid, meanwhile, is coming off his fifth Ted Lindsay award as the league’s best player, as voted on by the players. Next season he will enter a two-year, $12.5 million per year extension — one that caught many by surprise when it as signed ahead of last season.
Stauffer didn’t divulge any potential contract details, but it’s safe to assume it’ll be a noticable raise from his two-year extension.
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.