Oilers' McDavid And Draisaitl Talk Balancing Act Between Raising NHL Salaries And Team Success

The Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid could be the NHL's highest-paid players next summer. But as they set the bar for future players, they know the balance.

The Edmonton Oilers are one summer away from potentially making NHL history. 

They will almost certainly have the two highest-paid players in the NHL by then, with Leon Draisaitl's new eight-year contract extension kicking in with a $14-million cap hit and Connor McDavid becoming eligible to sign an extension for the following year. 

It's a great scenario because Edmonton has elite stars, but it's troubling because it could present financial challenges down the road.

McDavid and Draisaitl, both key parts of Edmonton’s success and critical to their Stanley Cup aspirations, recently spoke about their contracts and the future of player salaries during the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour in Las Vegas.

McDavid didn't say much about his own contract situation, but it's clear that securing Draisaitl’s future in Edmonton plays a key role in his upcoming decision about where and how for long he’ll sign.

“Leon signing his big deal and knowing he’ll be there will certainly go into that decision, amongst many other things,” McDavid said. He also said Draisaitl was worth every penny of that deal, hinting that McDavid will look to get what is fair in his negotiations. 

However, McDavid is also mindful of the balancing act between maximizing his earnings and ensuring he can lead a winning team.

When asked whether he feels a responsibility to push salaries higher for future generations of players, McDavid was cautious. His agent, Judd Moldaver, also represents Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who has the highest cap hit this season at $13.25 million.

“I don’t know. My agent is sitting over there. I’m sure he’d like for me to say yes," McDavid said.

“At the end of the day, I’m going to do what’s best for my family and what’s best for my chance to win — and win many times over again.” 

That leaves McDavid in an interesting spot, considering he's the best hockey player in the world. His contract will set a standard by which other NHLers will follow as the salary cap rises.

There's a longstanding practice of using the percentage of the cap to measure what stars should be paid. McDavid could ask for 20 percent, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, and get it. That would be $17.6 million this year with an $88-million cap ceiling. It doesn't sound like McDavid plans to do that. He'll have to weigh all factors, much like Draisaitl did.

Not surprisingly, since these two tend to work in concert with each other, Draisaitl shared McDavid’s measured approach.

“I don’t think I necessarily pushed my contract all the way to the limit,” Draisaitl said. “I’d like to state that. But I am very happy with it.”

Draisaitl also considered what NHL players as a whole get compared to other sports leagues.

“We probably don’t get paid what we’re deserved or don’t get paid what (other leagues) get paid. That’s the sport we’re in,” he said. “Each of us, if we can bump it up and get more money into hockey and get players some higher salaries, I’m sure all the other players would say they’re for it.”

That said, Draisaitl is mainly happy to get the deal done without it dragging into the season.

“It’s a nice feeling knowing where I’m going to be for the next couple of years and... just focus truly on the hockey side,” Draisaitl said.

In 2025-26, Draisaitl will be the highest-paid player in the NHL. That will last only as long as it takes McDavid to sign his new deal. 

Once that happens, the Oilers have work to do. Their two biggest stars will be under contract, but the hard part will just be getting started in fitting in enough talent and depth to remain a Stanley Cup contender.

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