When Connor McDavid signed his extension in September, the expectation around the league was that he would become the NHL's first $19-million player, or at least come close enough that the distinction wouldn't matter. Nobody would've argued he hadn't earned it. He's the best player in the world, the face of the sport and the biggest reason the Edmonton Oilers have spent the better part of a decade chasing the Stanley Cup.
But he signed for less.
It was still an enormous contract, but it left Edmonton with considerably more flexibility than anyone expected, and while that was easy enough to appreciate in September, every new superstar contract makes the decision look a little better.
Ex-Oiler Prospect Lands New Deal in OttawaXavier Bourgault secures a fresh start in the capital, betting on an AHL breakout to finally stick in the NHL after Edmonton moved on from the former first-rounder.The Philadelphia Flyers put the Ducks in an impossible position with a five-year, $90-million offer sheet, one Anaheim matched because there wasn't a realistic alternative. Franchise centres don't become available very often, certainly not ones who are 21 years old and still have another level or two to reach, and replacing a player like that with four first-round picks is far easier to talk about than it is to actually pull off.
Leo Carlsson called it life-changing money.
It is.
There isn't another way to describe $90 million. Players have a short career, one injury can change everything and every contract negotiation comes with the understanding that there may never be another opportunity quite like it. Hockey players don't owe anyone a discount, particularly when they're negotiating against organizations worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Three Goalies In Edmonton: Why It WorksCarrying three goaltenders used to be viewed as a sign that something had gone wrong. Teams wanted a clear No. 1, a dependable backup and little debate beyond that. The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> are taking a different approach this fall, and there are good reasons to believe it could work.
Carlsson took the contract almost everyone else would've taken.
Every Stanley Cup contender has to pay great players. The challenge is paying great players while still leaving yourself enough room to surround them with a roster that can survive an 84-game season and four playoff rounds. Cups are rarely won by the team with the most stars. They're usually won by the team that has enough good players after the stars have already been paid.
An $18-million cap hit changes every deal a general manager has for the next five years. It affects the next extension, the trade deadline, the bottom six, the third pairing, the backup goaltender, all the decisions that don't get enough attention.
McDavid understood that.
He could've pushed the market somewhere nobody had gone before. The Oilers would've given everything he wanted because there was never another option. Nobody lets the best player in the world leave over money, not when the alternative is spending the next decade trying to replace someone who can't be replaced.
Oilers Could Make a Late Summer Push For 23-Goal UFAAs Edmonton eyes a Stanley Cup, veteran sniper Vladimir Tarasenko emerges as a potential UFA target. Could his offensive pedigree flourish alongside McDavid at a team-friendly price tag?He looked beyond the next cheque.
The money McDavid didn't take isn't some abstract number sitting on a spreadsheet. It becomes another player Edmonton can afford to keep. It becomes the ability to take on salary at the trade deadline without moving two contracts out first. It becomes a little more breathing room every summer when another young player needs a raise and another veteran still has value.
That's why his contract has aged so well in such a short period of time.
Every new deal signed by a franchise player raises the ceiling a little higher, makes everyone wonder where the next negotiation is headed and reminds the rest of the league how unusual it is when someone willingly leaves money on the table. McDavid didn't need to do that. He chose to.
Craig Berube’s Decision May Have Changed Oilers Coaching PlansFrustrated by a stalling timeline, the veteran coach walked away from Edmonton’s search, forcing management to pivot toward Mike Babcock after lengthy negotiations hit a sudden standstill.The Oilers still have to draft well, develop players, avoid bad contracts, and make the right decisions every July and every March.
They get to make those decisions with more options than most contenders because their captain gave them some.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
