A first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks means changes are coming for the Edmonton Oilers.<\/p>\n
The organization is almost certainly going to be bringing in a new goalie<\/a>, and could also make a change behind the bench. That said, the biggest chatter online is what the future holds for Connor McDavid.<\/p>\n Shortly before the 2025-26 season got underway, McDavid shocked the world by agreeing to a very team-friendly, two-year, $25-million deal. He did so in order to leave money for Oilers management to try to build a more competitive team.<\/p>\n Instead, GM Stan Bowman elected to take on the contract of Tristan Jarry, while also signing Trent Frederic to an eight-year deal. Given all the mishaps from Oilers management over the years, one couldn\u2019t possibly blame McDavid for wanting to take a crack at the Stanley Cup elsewhere.<\/p>\n Oilers fans can breathe a sigh of relief, however, as their captain appears to be remaining loyal yet again.<\/p>\n \u201cMcDavid\u2019s burning desire to bring the Oilers to the promised land remains despite the setback, according to league sources,\u201d Chris Johnston and Sean Gentille wrote in a new column for The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Still, the 29-year-old\u2019s patience seems to be wearing thin. According to Johnston and Gentille, he\u2019s going to be closely monitoring the decisions made by management going forward.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s likely going to expect management to deliver on specific roster adjustments this summer, rather than accepting general promises,\u201d the article reads.<\/p>\n At the top of that list will be to find an adequate starting goaltender. After that, this team could benefit from better penalty killers and would love to add a scoring winger. The question is, do they have the cap space to do all that?<\/p>\n While it won\u2019t be easy, Bowman will have to figure out a way to improve this roster in a way that meets McDavid\u2019s standards this offseason. If not, this team risks being extremely mediocre once again in 2026-27, which could force McDavid\u2019s hand in wanting to win elsewhere.<\/p>\n