EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers' dressing room had more media than usual for a non-gameday practice, but that was to be expected after the saga about Connor McDavid's next contract came to an end. After signing a two-year contract extension on Monday [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/oilers-connor-mcdavid-announces-monumental-contract-extension], which carries the same $12.5-million cap hit as the deal he signed eight years ago, McDavid showed that being the highest-paid player in the NHL isn't a priority. "I guess it's a unique situation," McDavid said. "We weren't going to sign a long-term deal, so two years at that number makes a lot of sense. It gives us a chance to extend our window here in Edmonton. (Connor and Lauren McDavid's Bernedoodle) Lenny's not going to go hungry with that money, so you know, we'll be fine. "It's about winning, and that's always what I've preached. This deal gives both sides what they're looking for." McDavid won't even have the highest cap hit on the Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers]. Leon Draisaitl leads the way at $14 million, while Minnesota Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild] left winger Kirill Kaprizov will lead the NHL next year at $17 million. Getting the extension signed before the season opener puts the discussion back onto what this team does on the ice, not what his next contract will look like. "It's a lot for guys to have to come in here and answer questions for others guys, the coach to be asked about it, the GM to be asked about it every day, so (it's) nice to get it out of the way," McDavid said [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/mcdavid-welcomes-urgency-that-comes-with-his-fresh-extension]. "No one's going to talk about it anymore. That obviously plays a factor and myself not wanting to talk about it anymore and wanting to give the Oilers some clarity on what's going to go down." The Oilers Are Clearly On The Clock With Connor McDavid's Contract Extension [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a63dcfcd-0943-44de-8aaa-9b9bcb57f8f2.jpeg] The Oilers Are Clearly On The Clock With Connor McDavid's Contract Extension So Connor McDavid, the best hockey player on the planet, willingly <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/oilers-connor-mcdavid-announces-monumental-contract-extension">chose to give himself a zero percent raise</a> and give himself the third-highest cap hit in the NHL when he could have blown everybody out of the water. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/the-oilers-are-clearly-on-the-clock-with-connor-mcdavid-s-contract-extension] Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch sees the team-friendly contract extension as another example of McDavid's selfless nature that doesn't change anyone's respect level for him. It's an attitude that Knoblauch's witnessed well before either he or his captain were at the NHL level and worked together with the OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl]'s Erie Otters. "He's always the team first, he's always put his teammates first, and yes, he's very driven to be the best player every single night when he hits that ice, but he's very cognizant about his teammates," Knoblauch said. "I saw that when he was young in Erie, and I see it here." After getting to, at most, two wins away from the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons, McDavid's Oilers will now try to get the job done during their window. McDavid is now signed through 2028, while Draisaitl's under contract through 2033. On defense, Evan Bouchard is signed through 2029, while Nurse's contract expires in 2030. The Oilers are at the top of BetMGM [https://betmgmsporton.onelink.me/otUl/4rkbpwij]'s Stanley Cup odds leaderboard [https://sports.betmgm.ca/en/blog/league/nhl/?utm_source=thehockeynews&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nhl_blog_page], at 9.00 (+800). For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
