Connor McDavid’s contract saga is shaping up to be one of the most defining storylines for the Edmonton Oilers’ fate heading into the 2025-26 season. Whether the team’s captain will don the Oilers jersey in the future has triggered considerable debate and speculation around the league.
But if there is anything about the situation that seems settled beyond a doubt, it is the massive salary McDavid is expected to command.
Top players around the league are earning more than ever. Kirill Kaprizov reportedly turned down an offer from the Minnesota Wild that would have paid him $16 million a year. Given McDavid’s record and repute, there is a chance he ends up with an even bigger payday.
Yet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has a surprising take about the Oilers-McDavid situation.
Will Connor McDavid Shock the League By Signing a Cap-Friendly Deal with the Oilers?
The Oilers are familiar with big contracts. Forward Leon Draisaitl is on an eight-year, $112 million deal. Evan Bouchard’s four-year, $42 million contract pays him $10.5 million annually. McDavid is nearing the end of an eight-year, $100 million deal with the team. The number will surely get bigger, given McDavid’s centrality to the team’s championship aspirations.
The number being thrown around most often puts the 28-year-old center’s average annual value at around $17 million. If McDavid wants that contract, the Oilers will likely waste little time in putting that deal on the table. However, Friedman believes that the Oilers captain has a more modest deal in mind.
“Pay him 20 per cent and nobody is going to complain about it. I believe, I really believe more than ever, and I have said it a couple of times, I really believe it more than ever. If McDavid signs in Edmonton, if he does, it is going to be for a lower number than we all expect. Like, I think it is going to surprise people where it could end up,” Friedman said in a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast.
McDavid’s ties with the Oilers run deep, and he has expressed his desire to win in Edmonton countless times. A player of his stature may feel weighed down, especially by the repeated Stanley Cup heartbreaks.
However, there is still reason to believe that McDavid will opt for a more cap-friendly contract, allowing the team financial flexibility to improve the overall roster come Thanksgiving.
We’ve seen this before with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Friedman points out that McDavid could be aware that Oilers brass is responsible for other mammoth contracts; McDavid might opt for a modest deal out of consideration. “I just think he knows that with Draisaitl making what he is making and Nurse making what he is making, he can’t go to a new stratosphere.”
If Friedman’s words become reality, the Oilers will have pulled off one of the most successful moves of all time. That said, even signing McDavid to a team-friendly extension is unlikely to guarantee another trip to the Stanley Cup final, given the goaltending situation is still up in the air.
