The Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid are going to be in the headlines as long as the status quo remains so.
McDavid is entering the last year of his contract with the Oilers, and he’d be one of the biggest-name free agents in NHL history if he got to that point.
Clearly, it’s in the Oilers’ best interests to keep the best player on the planet on their roster, especially after coming within a win or two of the Stanley Cup in each of the past two seasons.
The Oilers have something working in their favor, something that McDavid shouldn’t mind, either.
Next offseason, the Oilers will have $45 million available in cap space, per PuckPedia.
It’s safe to expect McDavid to get at minimum a $16 million per year deal, and maybe a few million more in AAV.
Whatever he gets is expected to set a new NHL record, although there will be other competitors for big contracts coming up. Both Golden Knights’ star Jack Eichel and Wild star Kirill Kaprizov could get contracts that surpass the current record, too.
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McDavid will turn 29 years old in January.
He’s coming off an 100-point season in which he had 26 goals and 74 assists in just 67 games.
In his career, he has played 712 games and put up 1,082 points, broken down between 36 goals and 721 assists.
McDavid has led the NHL in points in five separate seasons and in assists in four separate campaigns.
The Oilers knew they’d have this contract coming up, and they lined up their books in a smart way. They’ll have as much money to give to McDavid as they want to, and as much as he wants.
The year of watching-and-waiting is just beginning. Will McDavid stay with the Oilers, and for how much? The watch is on.
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