The Edmonton Oilers held their season-opening media availabilities on Wednesday, and while the excitement of working to overcome back-to-back Stanley Cup Final defeats at the hands of the Florida Panthers is present, the dominant storyline entering the season is the ongoing attempt to sign superstar Connor McDavid to a long-term extension to stay in Edmonton.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman spoke about the conversation between the team and player, and what his expectation is as the season nears.

“I go by what he says and that is that he wants nothing more than to win in Edmonton,” Bowman said of his negotiation with McDavid. “I trust his word.”

McDavid, a generational talent with three Hart Trophies that has led the league in scoring in five of his ten seasons, is entering the final year of his eight-year, $100 million deal signed in 2017.

The 27-year-old also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy for top playoff performer two seasons ago despite playing for the team that lost in the Final – only the sixth time that has happened in NHL history.

Bowman, who is entering his second season as GM of the Oilers, also spoke with McDavid about the team over the off-season.

“I’ve gotten to know him the past year and we have good conversations,” Bowman said. “It isn’t a sales pitch, but more conversations about the team for this year and the future. Also what we did well last year and what we can change.”

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston noted on Insider Trading on Tuesday that the fact that McDavid is entering this season without a contract extension signed is notable, but that ultimately the entire negotiation will run on McDavid’s timeline.

“I think this completely remains on McDavid’s timeline,” Johnston said. “He still has some reticence about where the lineup is at, wants time to see what the contract looks like, and wants to see how everything kind of develops this season.”

Oilers not looking at free agent G Carter Hart

Bowman also told reporters on Wednesday that the team is not interested in signing free agent goaltender Carter Hart.

“We are not looking at that situation,” Bowman said. “We like where Stu [Skinner] is at.”

Hart, 27, spent all six of his NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers before he left the team in January of 2024 with charges pending relating to the London Hockey Trial that concluded earlier this summer.

Bowman: Oilers not looking to sign goaltender Carter Hart Oilers general manager Stan Bowman revealed that the team is not looking to sign goaltender Carter Hart and is happy with where Stuart Skinner is at. Bowman also added that he is always monitoring the goaltending situation but is content to see if they can get more consistency out of Skinner before looking to make a change.

The NHL announced earlier this month that it is reinstating the five players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canada’s world junior team, and that they will be eligible to sign a contract Oct. 15 and take part in games Dec. 1.

Hart, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were all found not guilty by a judge in London, Ont. The National Hockey League said in a statement following the verdict on July 24 by Justice Maria Carroccia that even though the players were found not guilty, their actions were “unacceptable”, and the players were ineligible to return to the league while it reviewed the decision.

Four of the players (Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod) were playing in the NHL until charges were announced during the 2023-24 season and are currently unrestricted free agents. Formenton has been out of the league since 2022 and rejoined Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta earlier in September.

Given his experience in the NHL, the expectation was that Hart would garner the most interest as a potential addition to a roster this season.

In 227 career NHL games with the Flyers, Hart has a 96-93-29 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.