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“Connor McDavid will become the first player to earn $20 million a year”

 David Miller
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“Connor McDavid will become the first player to earn $20 million a year”
Credit: Getty Images
Today, the Edmonton Oilers settled a big deal by securing the long-term services of Leon Draisaitl. The German, who signed a monstrous eight-year, $112 million contract (including $104 million in signing bonuses), is in Alberta to stay.

We know how important he is to the Oilers, and even if the price is high, it was the right thing to do.

That said, now that Draisaitl’s case is settled, all eyes in Edmonton will turn to Connor McDavid. The club captain, who will be eligible to sign a contract extension in a year’s time, will break the bank.

But just how much will he break the bank? Some dare to mention amounts that, by NHL standards, are dizzying.

Among them: Marc de Foy, who noted in his column of the day that he expects McDavid to become the first “$20 million man” in the NHL.

In reality, everyone expects McDavid to become the NHL’s highest-paid player a year from now. After all, he’s unquestionably the best player in the league, and we’ve suspected for years that he’ll reset the market when he signs his next contract.

The question, though, is how greedy he’ll be. No doubt his peers are hoping he’ll take as much money as possible to play into their hands when it comes time to negotiate, but with the Oilers looking to maximize their window of contention, seeing McDavid accept a little less to give himself a chance to win could also be on the cards.

And remember that recently, it was rumoured that the three stars in Edmonton had asked their teammates to take less money. Will seeing Draisaitl break the bank inspire his teammates (including McDavid) to do the same?

Another question is whether the Oilers’ upcoming season will change the negotiating picture for McDavid. If the club wins the Stanley Cup, for example, he could emulate Nathan MacKinnon, who accepted less money to help his club win the Cup before breaking the bank once he’d lifted the big trophy.

That’s going to be quite a saga next summer.


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