Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews makes his thoughts known on Connor McDavid's 'modest' $25M contract extension

Auston Matthews shared his thoughts on Connor McDavid’s contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid signed a two year deal worth $25 million on Monday, with a $12.5 million cap hit per season. The contract will keep him in Edmonton through the 2027-28 season, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Matthews called the deal “modest” and spoke about McDavid’s focus on winning.

“It’s all about winning and setting himself up for the best opportunity to do that,” Matthews told reporters after Tuesday's practice (2:19).

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain highlighted that McDavid is committed to the game, like every top player in the NHL.

"I have a lot of respect for him, and I've been fortunate to get to know him over the years, and I know that my time around him, you know, that's the main thing that he obviously wants to do," Matthews said. "That's what everybody wants to do: to win, and he's as committed as anybody to it."

Matthews also discussed the challenges of player contracts under the salary cap.

“Everybody's situation's different," Matthews said (2:58). "Every team's situation's different. Cap's going up. It's tough to envision what the landscape's going to look like, but in the end you always want to try and find a happy medium."

McDavid had another strong showing in the 2024-25 season with 26 goals and 74 assists for 100 points. He ranked sixth in points and fourth in assists across the league. McDavid added seven goals and 26 assists for 33 points in the playoffs, continuing to lead the Oilers offense.

Before the extension was announced, McDavid posted a message on X,

“Our journey here continues,” McDavid tweeted.

Connor McDavid’s previous comments on taking time before his contract extension

Connor McDavid said in August that he was taking his time to decide on a new contract with the Edmonton Oilers. He wanted to focus on winning and avoid distractions for his team.

“I’ll take my time going through it with my family, my agent and everybody involved," McDavid said, via NHL.com. "We're going through it slowly.”

The star center made it clear that all options were open and he had no preference. After signing the extension, he will be in Edmonton beyond the 2025-26 campaign. The Oilers have lost to Florida Panthers twice in the last two seasons, and McDavid is once again ready to chase his first Stanley Cup.