| McDavid Contract Talks [message #847432] |
Tue, 02 September 2025 11:06  |
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 Adam
Messages: 7513
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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Some concern starting to show around the lack of a new deal for 97. Hopefully it gets done fairly quickly.
He was pretty clear that he wanted to see how management was ensuring that we remain in the hunt for a Cup. The Oilers seem set to start the season with the exact same defective goalie tandem that wasn't good enough the last two years.
You'll have Edmonton media guys try to tell us that hey - we were only one win away last year, and two this year so how bad can the goaltending be, but the reality is that Skinner has been atrocious in the post-season and the team has won in spite of him. Pickard is a journeyman back-up late in his career. The fact he started games while our "starter" was still healthy in the Stanley Cup Finals is a huge red flag.
Skinner's .893 Sv% in 50 games played is the WORST of any goalie with over 30 appearances in the playoffs since 2000. The only one with worse results with 20+ games played is Dan Cloutier who was a staggering .872 in 25 starts. And while if you asked people, most would say Pickard has been notably better, his save percentage is actually worse (.892).
If there's a plan to improve this tandem as the season goes on, then they better be communicating that to McDavid. Right now, this is looking like the definition of insanity - and I do wonder if it's not the biggest reason we don't have even a short extension done.
Maybe they'll surprise us all, and the real reason is that they're working on finding a way to get him signed long-term - but I feel this is probably the more likely explanation.
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks
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Kr55
Messages: 12032
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton
6 Cups
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I start to worry if it goes after tomorrow.
Drai signed his extension Sep 3rd, 2024.
The wife is keeping up with social media. I guess McDavid's wife posted about her new matching friendship pinky rings with Drai's girl 
Keep the faith that players are generally clueless about team construction, and give huge amounts of undeserved respect to their managers, and guys like McDavid blame themselves for the failures more than anyone else. It hasn't failed us yet! In terms of keeping our big names I mean. Our big players not leveraging their ability to leave, and pointing a finger at our terrible management and demanding it be fixed properly certainly did cause our team to be managed like crap for a decade of McDavid already, and make us fail to win a cup.
[Updated on: Tue, 02 September 2025 12:09]
"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013
"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015
5 x $5,000,000
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smyth260
Messages: 1207
Registered: November 2007
1 Cup
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If we get to game 1 without an extension, I sure as hell hope they are at very least top of their division after a month or two. I have a lot of doubt that he will sign with a 10th place team.
I seriously worry about trade discussions by Christmas.
Clean house or bust
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Mike
Messages: 1877
Registered: August 2005
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick
1 Cup
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Not feeling as optimistic as I was a couple of weeks ago. I still think it will get done, but I would be lying if I said I was not at all concerned.
The goalies over McDavid's 10 seasons (how the hell is it 10 years already?!?!?!)
Starter his first 3 years - Talbot. Pretty solid numbers the first 2, but not great in the 3rd, then pretty bad in his 4th when we added Koskinen. Then we followed that up with 3 years of Koskinen and Smith, then Skinner and Campbell, and Skinner/Pickard the last 2, and looking like we're in for a 3rd year of that.
Can't blame him if this concerns him and is part of the reason he's waiting to sign.
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Rutuu
Messages: 157
Registered: March 2011
Location: Brisbane
No Cups
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Carter Hart is our goalie solution...we all know it to be true.
I expect the NHL to lay out a way that the players involved in the incident in 2018 have a path back. And we've already given Kane / Bowman chances, it seems on brand now.
As for McDavid, he's got Matthews's agent, so I expect shorter deals to take advantage of the cap. Draisatl is still here, and signed long term, so that will be a big pull. If he's unsigned into the playoffs, well yeah...he's going to Toronto, but bar that I have positive feelings something gets done.
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