Not that anyone was worried it wouldn’t happen, but the Edmonton Oilers have signed Connor McDavid to a three-year entry-level contract.
The #Oilers have agreed to terms with 2015 first-overall pick @cmcdavid97 on a three-year entry-level contract! pic.twitter.com/D6wBFRcrrU
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 3, 2015
McDavid, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft, skated yesterday at Rexall Place in the Oilers’ orientation camp.
“It’s very cool,” he said, per Sportsnet. “The history that comes with this organization, the great games that have been played here… It’s such a storied franchise, to walk into the locker room and see all that stuff. It’s very special.”
McDavid’s arrival has Edmonton hockey fans optimistic that the Oilers will soon return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
Not that he alone makes them a Stanley Cup contender. The defense, even after the signing of Andrej Sekera, remains a question mark. Ditto for the goaltending, even after the acquisition of Cam Talbot.
But the 18-year-old phenom summed it up nicely.
“It’s an exciting time,” he said. “The last couple of years have not gone the way they wanted them to, they’ve brought in some great hockey minds, and they still have such a great young core. I’m just trying to do everything I can to make the team and be a part of that. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this organization.”
Connor McDavid gets a max entry-level deal: $925,000 (which includes $92,500 signing bonus) in salary; up to $2.85M in performance bonuses.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 3, 2015