Former NHLer and Stanley Cup Champion Mike Commodore believes Edmonton Oilers' superstar Connor McDavid will re-sign with the team.
"There's no way Leon Draisaitl was gonna sign eight years and then what he did," Commodore said to the SportsCage via The Monday Nooner Podcast.
"If I'm Draisaitl, I'm talking to Connor and being like: 'Hey, dude, if I'm signing this thing, you better be around.' I would assume there was some conversation. I think he's there to stay, I think if I had to bet on it, he'd be there to stay, but I'm basically going on Draisaitl's comments."
Two days after the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Draisaitl made comments in a press conference hoping McDavid would re-sign with the team, as reported by Derek Van Diest.
When McDavid had his own press conference, everyone in Edmonton became nervous when the 28-year-old stated he was not yet ready to commit to the team.
"This core has been together for a long time and we've been building to this moment all along," McDavid said. "The work that's gone on behind the scenes, the conversations, the disappointments and some good times along the way as well. We're all in this together, trying to get it over that finish line. With that being said, ultimately, I still need to do what's best for me, my family and that's who I have to take care of first, but of course there is unfinished business here."
Commodore is not buying what McDavid said in his press conference about needing to consult with his family.
"If he's relying on his wife and the dog, they both probably want warmer weather," Commodore joked. "So Edmonton is in trouble, depending on what kind of dog."
Last year, Draisaitl signed an eight-year contract totalling $112 million on September 3. McDavid's eight-year contract worth $100 million expires after next season and he could become an unrestricted free agent.
The New Jersey Devils selected Commodore in the second round during the 1999 NHL Draft. His career in the NHL began in 2000 with the Devils and concluded with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012. He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and followed that up by winning the World Hockey Championship with Team Canada the following year. In total, Commodore played 484 games in the NHL, scoring 23 goals along with 83 assists which equals 106 points plus he accumulated 683 penalty minutes.
Another NHL star Commodore discussed ws Toronto Maple Leafs free agent Mitch Marner.
"If I'm Mitch Marner, I don't want to go to Toronto much anymore, I think I'm going to the Western Conference," Commodore explained. "I think if I'm Mitch Marner, I've had it with all the media, I think I'm heading to the States and I'm heading west."
Marner could re-sign with his current team or find a new one with NHL free agency opening on Tuesday, July 1.
