The Oilers finally made the extension announcement for Connor McDavid yesterday, but there was a very unusual way they found out about his hometown discount. The Edmonton Oilers had no idea how well they were pulling off on Connor McDavid's new contract <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6695072/2025/10/06/oilers-connor-mcdavid-extension-negotiations/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>until a 9:45 a.m. Mountain Time, Monday morning phone call.</a> Following months of discussions involving the front office of the team, McDavid, and agent Judd Moldaver, no one knew what McDavid really wanted, until roughly an hour before everyone in the hockey world did. On that teleconference, Moldaver told general manager Stan Bowman and hockey operations chief executive Jeff Jackson that McDavid would prefer to leave his average annual value precisely where he left it, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/connor-mcdavid-and-the-edmonton-oilers-have-reportedly-agreed-to-a-contract-extension' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>a two-year deal for $12.5 million annually.</a> It was a jaw-dropping sub-market choice by the league's top player and an appropriate end to a low-key negotiation that started over dinner in late June and concluded two days before Opening Night. Very unusual, but very interesting, Bowman said. I don't know if I ever talked to Judd Moldaver as much as I have in the last month or so, but it's been great. Different, but it was fun. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/1975548781925196039'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> <h3>Jeff Jackson was Connor McDavid's Agent in the Past, Which Likely Helped This Process</h3> The negotiations were unlike anything else, particularly considering Jackson's past. He was McDavid's agent for over a decade before signing with the Oilers in 2023, and had brokered the captain's current $100 million contract, which is set to run through next summer. He also worked with Moldaver at Wasserman Hockey in the past, which makes this an unusually intimate setup. Naturally, McDavid's worth is nearly impossible to quantify. With a 10-year average of 125 points per 82 games, he's amassed five scoring titles, four Ted Lindsay Awards, three Hart Trophies, and a Conn Smythe as the 2024 playoff MVP. According to the CBA, he could have rightfully commanded nearly $19.1 million annually, but opted to make less than some peers, including teammate Leon Draisaitl and Toronto's Auston Matthews. Ultimately, McDavid's decision was not for money. Having made it to the Stanley Cup final last spring and the one before, and coming one game from glory, he insisted that winning a championship in Edmonton is his top priority, one that now seems more attainable than ever.