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Stan Bowman Discusses Connor McDavid's Contract Impact on Oilers' Other Upcoming Free Agents


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Tom Banks
September 17, 2025  (3:53 PM)
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Stan Bowman, GM of the Edmonton Oilers.
Photo credit: Oilers Daily

Connor McDavid's contract negotiations haven't gotten very far, and now, Stan Bowman has addressed the accusation that it's holding up other deals.

Over the past few weeks, worry and speculation have continued to build around Connor McDavid, and given that he's still yet to sign a contract extension, some fans are starting to get genuinely worried.
Recently, reports revealed that it may not just be the fans, with speculation emerging that until McDavid gets a deal done, there's going to be a holdup on other deals, specifically on re-signing talented defenseman Jake Walman.

Bowman denies McDavid deal holding up others

That was something that the media recently asked GM Stan Bowman, who quickly shut that idea down, noting that McDavid's negotiations haven't impact Walman, Mattias Ekholm or any other potential negotiation.
I think we have had preliminary discussions with a bunch of people going into the last year of their deal. It's not just Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm but other players as well.

I don't know if we will be able to wrap those up in the next little bit or if it'll bleed into the season. Nothing to report as being near the end of negotiations but a lot of encouraging discussions.

I don't think Connor's negotiations have impacted the others.
In a recent interview with Sportsnet, Walman even stated confidence in his future with the Oilers, so while nothing is moving quickly in Edmonton as of right now, optimism remains high all-round.
Ultimately, it makes sense that the Oilers prioritize McDavid over any other potential deal right now, and while nothing has gotten done with other players, that doesn't mean things won't shift in the coming weeks.
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Stan Bowman Discusses Connor McDavid's Contract Impact on Oilers' Other Upcoming Free Agents

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