3 Oilers stars entering their final contract year with Edmonton ft. Connor McDavid

The Edmonton Oilers have lost in the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back years and enter the season with some pivotal players in the final year of their contracts.

Connor McDavid, the best player in the NHL, is in the final year of his deal, and his future with the team is a major storyline this season. Along with McDavid, here are three stars who are pending free agents.

3 Oilers stars entering their final contract year

#1, Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid is entering the final year of his eight-year, $100 million deal with the Oilers.

McDavid will be in line for a massive contract, but he could opt for a short-term deal instead of the max seven-year term. Or, McDavid could very well leave in free agency.

“When you’re trying to plan the next three, four, seven, nine years of your life, you don’t just dream it up in one day, you take your time, talk it over, think about it some more, talk it over again,” McDavid said, via NHL.com. “It’s not something that I take lightly, it’s not something that my family takes lightly. I’ve put everything I have into my career, just like everybody here. You only get one chance to do it and to do it right and that leads to taking your time with it and that’s where it’s at.”

McDavid recorded 26 goals and 74 assists for 100 points in 67 games last season.

#2, Mattias Ekholm

Mattias Ekholm is in the final year of his deal - Source: Imagn

Mattias Ekholm is a star shutdown defenseman, but this could be his final season with the Oilers.

Ekholm is entering the final year of his four-year, $25 million deal. At age 35, he may start to be on the decline, but Ekholm is still an important defenseman for the Oilers.

Ekholm also adds some offense to the back end, as last season, he recorded 9 goals and 24 assists for 33 points in 65 games.

#3, Jake Walman

Edmonton traded for Jake Walman at the deadline, and he was an impact defenseman for the Oilers, but he's now in the final year of his deal.

Walman is entering the final year of his three-year, $10.2 million deal. He's an offensive defenseman who can help run the second power play unit for the Oilers behind Evan Bouchard.

Walman recorded 1 goal and 7 assists in 15 regular-season games with the Oilers. In the playoffs, he added 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points in 22 games.