It's mid-September and unfortunately for Edmonton Oilers fans, Connor McDavid has not re-signed with the team past the 2025-26 season.

Sure, McDavid still has one year left on his $100 million contract signed back in 2017, so he will be suiting up in blue and orange for the upcoming year. Yet, Oilers fans were hoping for better news on this front as the 2025-26 NHL season starts to come into focus.

McDavid has been eligible to re-sign with the Oilers since the summer, but fans were met with radio silence on the topic for the last few months. With the Oilers reconvening for training camp after losing back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals to the Florida Panthers, the question was on everyone's minds about the superstar's future in Edmonton.

However, it looks like we're going to have to wait longer for news because McDavid himself is still uncertain what his future holds. In a recent interview with Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast, McDavid stated that he's going to take his time with this decision and that it's going to come down to "a feeling".

It's understandable that McDavid is taking this contract negotiation seriously. Given how close the Oilers have gotten to winning it all but fell short in back-to-back seasons, the team no doubt feels as if they have unfinished business. Yet, the Oilers have made some roster decisions — Edmonton's goaltending has been a pain point for more than a few seasons now — that have fans questioning the team's direction under this leadership group.

Thanks to all that uncertainty, it's no wonder McDavid has yet to commit to another contract with the Oilers. And with the NHL's salary cap increase, McDavid is likely going to net a massive deal that befits his status as the best hockey player in the world. The waiting game makes all the sense in the world for the 28-year-old superstar, though that line of thinking will certainly not calm Oilers' fans anxieties about losing McDavid to another NHL team.

Unfortunately for those fans, it seems as if McDavid is content to play the waiting game about his upcoming contract. The Oilers will have to do everything in their power to convince McDavid that Edmonton is where he has the best chance at finally lifting the Stanley Cup.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Connor McDavid’s contract uncertainty will loom over Oilers’ season

Reporting by Mary Clarke, For The Win / For The Win

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