EDMONTON — Big money, big money, big money.
That is what most hockey pundits are expecting once the Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid signs his next contract. With his teammate, Leon Draisaitl securing an eight-year $14-million contract extension, most journalists and fans expect a huge payday for McDavid.
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But could McDavid flip the script? Could he take the team-first approach of another NHL superstar, Sidney Crosby?
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It’s certainly not out of the question.
McDavid Left Money On the Table With Current Contract
McDavid signed his current $12.5-million contract straight out of his entry-level deal. Peter Chiarelli was the Oilers’ GM at the time of the signing.
“This may have been one of the largest contracts ever given in the NHL, but I can assure you, it easily could have been a lot higher in value and shorter in term,” Chiarelli told the press at the time.
“Building a team to win the Stanley Cup was a constant in the discussion.”
That last sentence is the key: “building a team to win the Stanley Cup.” When McDavid signed that extension, $12.5 million was only 15 percent of the team salary cap. He could have demanded 20 percent of the cap, which would have forced them to pay him $15 million a year.
But McDavid isn’t like that.
He wanted to be paid close to his worth without jeopardizing his team’s chance at success. Leaving $2.5 million on the table is one way to do that.
Will McDavid Give The Oilers The ‘Sid The Kid’ Discount?
Crosby just signed a two-year extension that will pay him $8.7 million for two years. He signed the deal when he was 37 years old, and it kicks in when he is 38.
McDavid and Crosby are at different positions in their careers. Crosby has already won the Stanley Cup three times, while McDavid is still chasing his first.
Crosby is in the final year of a 12-year deal paying him $8.7 million a year. He signed it back when the collective bargaining agreement allowed players to sign deals exceeding eight years.
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Many are expecting McDavid to sign a deal in the neighborhood of $15 million. But he could follow in the footsteps of one of his idols and demand a fun number instead.
Is making the most money in the NHL his top priority, or is it giving his team the best opportunity to win? Easing the team’s cap situation is one way he could do that.
So does McDavid demand north of $15 million, or use his jersey number as inspiration for a $9.7-million contract? By the time his deal expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, he will have made over $100 million from his NHL contracts.
That doesn’t even factor in endorsements and sponsorship deals.
No matter how you slice it, McDavid is going to get paid. But he has the opportunity here to do something cool, which would also be incredibly selfless.
I won’t blame him for taking $15 million a year. I’d probably do the same if I were him.
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