Top analyst claims Connor McDavid will start 2025-26 season without new contract

Indeed, the Edmonton organization is holding its breathe.

The funny thing about updates is that you don't know when they will happen. Now, only 48 hours after Connor addressed the media at Team Canada's Orientation camp, John Shannon has provided the latest update.

I suppose that Connor McDavid is in fact holding all the cards, saying he will sign when he is ready. Oilers' management has no choice but to wait.

Edmonton's chances of winning a Stanley Cup are directly connected to Connor McDavid remaining in the lineup. Should the 2025-26 season prove not to be Edmonton's year, the hype around whether McDavid will remain an Oiler will reach new catastrophic heights.

Now, that McDavid has not as yet signed an extension with the Oilers raises the question of why. If he holds all the cards, then the issue is not likely about the contract itself.

Which, of course, leads to all the speculation that is being circulated across the world wide web. If the Oilers don't win the Cup next year, and Connor McDavid has not signed his extension by July 1, 2026, does that mean he will want to sign elsewhere, as some analyst claim.

That John Shannon believes Connor won't sign an extension before the start of the 2025-26 season lends some credibility to the rumours. Usually, he knows what the general public doesn't.

Having said all that, I personally believe there are other factors in play, and that it's just a matter of time before Connor McDavid signs an extension and remains an Oiler for the foreseeable future.