Connor McDavid’s deal provides needed flexibility as Oilers’ core gets older
The hockey world was put on notice when Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid signed his two-contract extension. The deal carries the same AAV as his current contract, paying him $12.5 million through the 2027-28 season.
While some people are already worried about what might happen in a couple of years, many are wondering why McDavid left so much money on the table. With teammate Leon Draisaitl starting on his eight-year, $14 million AAV contract this season, and Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov signing a contract that pays $17 million a year, many wondered if No. 97 was going to get more.
There seems to be a method to the madness in Edmonton. With the fact that the Oilers have made it to the Western Conference Final in each of the past two years, it’s clear that McDavid has intentions of winning with the team that drafted him first overall 10 years ago, giving the team a little bit of cap relief by taking a little less than what he’s valued at.
On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton discuss why McDavid’s extension will help the Oilers continue to be successful.
Carter Hutton: I think I was prepared for the term…So, the number for me was the one that kind of caught me off guard…He went lower and he stayed at the same number. For me, I think it just cements his legacy in Edmonton and what he’s done for the city and how committed he is to try to help this team win. And we’ve seen Sidney Crosby do it in Pittsburgh. McDavid kind of has given them that three-year window. And he’s given [Stan] Bowman the ability and the creativity now with some numbers to push this team over the top. It’s not like we’re rebuilding here.
This is a team that’s two years in a row to the Stanley Cup final. It just shows his demeanor. I’m excited for this little saga. I don’t think it necessarily means after three years he’s done, but I feel like he’s given them that chance now to really do something with the salary cap.
Tyler Yaremchuk: If this whole process has shown us anything, it’s that nobody’s inside Conor McDavid’s head and nobody knows how he’s thinking. So, I say that before I get into my point, which is it feels like, in hindsight, this whole thing, dragging out the negotiation, saying what he said in the media, ultimately signing for two years at the very cheap AAV…it feels like this whole thing for McDavid was just about keeping some pressure on this front office.
I think it’s funny when people are thrown out the take of, ‘Oh, the Oilers have three years to build a contender around McDavid. … I know you can sit there and poke holes in the roster and talk goaltending, but the point is they’re a combined three wins away from winning a Cup over the last two seasons. They have built a contender. I think what this is more about is Connor McDavid wants to make sure that it can be sustained.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…