Connor McDavid signed a two year extension with the Edmonton Oilers worth 25 million total and 12.5 million per season, keeping the star center under contract through at least the 2027-28 window. The deal preserves his 12.5 million cap hit while extending his tenure in Edmonton after he was nearing free agency following the 2025-26 season. Edmonton opens 2025-26 vs Calgary with McDavid locked in for the near term, signaling stability as the team pursues a deep playoff run.

Market context shows McDavid joining a crowded top earners list by cap hit, with Draisaitl at 14M and Matthews at 13.25M among the league leaders. The largest NHL contracts all time are Kirill Kaprizov at 136M over eight years and Ovechkin at 124M over 13 years, underscoring McDavid’s position among the truly elite players even as the Oilers negotiate long term. The extension comes after reported talks from well respected insiders and caps off a narrative of Edmonton prioritizing McDavid as the franchise cornerstone.

Fantasy impact centers on McDavid’s continued supremacy and the Oilers’ ability to build around him. With McDavid and Draisaitl anchored, Edmonton remains a favorable environment for big point outputs, while the two year frame keeps options flexible for future roster moves. Expect McDavid to drive Shooting and Points upside while the Oilers manage cap flexibility for supporting pieces around him.

Winnipeg erased a 4-2 deficit in the third and topped Calgary 5-4 in a shootout, with Tanner Pearson delivering the deciding goal in the seventh round. The Jets leaned on depth scoring—Haydn Fleury, Gustav Nyquist, Alex Iafallo and Parker Ford finding the back of the net as Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 of 29. Calgary got a two-goal night from Nazem Kadri, but went 0-for-5 on the power play as Dustin Wolf faced 35 shots. In the Canucks-Oilers tilt, Vancouver pulled off a 3-2 OT win on Conor Garland’s early OT strike after Jonathan Lekkerimaki tied it late in the third; Edmonton got goals from Kasperi Kapanen and Leon Draisaitl, with Pettersson leaving after an elbow to the head in the second.

The night showcased preseason storylines: Jets’ scoring depth and goaltending steadiness versus Flames’ run-and-gun through Kadri’s a.m. two-goal effort, plus a Canucks win that underscored Garland’s finishing touch and Lekkerimaki’s timely equalizer. Both games offered a closer look at roster battles, special-teams execution and how fantasy assets might ride the momentum into the regular season.

Pettersson, Shesterkin and Klingberg emerge as top positive regression candidates for 2025-26, with Pettersson eyeing a return to 30+ goals and 80+ points amid a fresh Canucks start, Shesterkin rebounding behind a steadier Rangers lineup, and Klingberg potentially reviving his PP quarterback role in San Jose. On the downside, Wilson, Walman and Kuemper carry clear regression flags: Wilson’s goal rate looks unlikely to hold, Walman’s role may shrink, and Kuemper could drift toward an average starter.

These projections hinge on health, coaching changes, and lineup stability, then translate into concrete fantasy implications: draft around risk-reward for goaltending with Kuemper, and target players like Pettersson and Shesterkin where firm performance anchors are likely despite surrounding team turbulence. The article places these players in a realistic context for 2025-26 rosters and DFS/casual fantasy planning.