Connor McDavid had the opportunity to put any speculation of his future to bed on Wednesday when he was asked where things stand between him and the Edmonton Oilers on a new contract.

McDavid has one year left on his current deal, and became eligible to sign an extension on July 1.

He hasn’t yet, and he’s in no rush to, either.

“I said at the end of June that I intend to take my time with it, and I still feel the same way,” McDavid said to reporters in Calgary. “I’ll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton. That’s my only focus.”

At this point, it seems that McDavid will enter the season on an expiring deal. The longer he goes with signing an extension, the more restless the situation will become leading up to next offseason, when he will undoubtedly be the top free agent available.

While that would be a nightmare scenario for the Oilers, every other team, fan, the league itself, and their mother, is hoping to see McDavid reach the open market.

Even if he does, only a few clubs will have a realistic chance of signing him.

The Boston Bruins aren’t one of them.

Cap Constraints:

Regardless of where McDavid ultimately signs, his next contract will, in all likelihood, set the record for the largest in NHL history.

That is not a price the Bruins can afford to pay right now, as they’re s projected to have just $19.93 million in cap space heading into next offseason, the second lowest of any team in the league.

Boston has spent the last few offseasons signing multiple players to lengthy, high-priced contracts. None of which are expiring any time soon, and all of which appear to be an over pay to some degree.

Last year it was Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Jeremy Swayman. This year it was Morgan Geekie and, for some reason, Tanner Jeannot. Attach the contracts of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm, and the Bruins are paying a combined sum of $57.15 million per season to those eight players until the summer of 2030.

Currently, that’s 59 percent of their total cap space. While the cap is scheduled to rise by an exceptional amount over the next few years, adding a deal with McDavid, which some have predicted might be worth as much $20 million per season, if not more, and the Bruins will only dig themselves into a deeper financial hole.

Cup Contention:

From the outside looking in, it seems that McDavid wants to remain in Edmonton and be an Oiler for life. However, that desire is vastly overshadowed by the one he has to win the Stanley Cup.

McDavid has come close. He and the Oilers have fallen in the Cup Final to the Florida Panthers in each of the past two seasons. If this seasons ends in a similar fashion, his exit from Edmonton will almost be certain.

But at least the Oilers are in the conversation of being a Cup contender. The Bruins are about as far away as they can get.

Boston imploded last season, missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years while finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference. While the club does expect to improve this year, a return to the postseason isn’t all that likely.

Whether if he stays in Edmonton or signs elsewhere, McDavid is going to sign with whichever organization he feels has the best the chance to win a championship.

Perhaps that’s with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, and he teams up with Auston Matthews in hopes of bringing the franchise it’s first Stanley Cup since 1967.

Maybe he subscribes to the ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ ethos and signs with Florida.

Dallas, Colorado, Tampa Bay, and Vegas could all be options too.

Boston definitely isn’t.

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