Leon Draisaitl's contract extension increases the chances that Connor McDavid will stay in Edmonton.
Leon Draisaitl's contract extension increases the chances that Connor McDavid will stay in Edmonton.
While the Oilers just gave out one of the biggest contracts in NHL history, it's looking likely that they'll be topping that number soon.
On today's season premiere of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman delivered a few rumours and tidbits that should perk the ears of any Oilers fans. The biggest news concerns the best player on the planet.
With the ink barely dry on Leon Draisaitl's contract extension, it seems a near certainty that Connor McDavid will sign an extension of his own when the time comes. In Friedman's words, "Draisaitl's not staying without a heads up from McDavid."
"This was not a Leon Draisaitl negotiation, this was a Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid negotiation."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WOnlJ1Iniw[/embed]
Friedman also implies that there's no number the Oilers won't consider for McDavid's extension.
"If McDavid asks for 20% (of the salary cap, the maximum allowed by the CBA), they would give it to him."
With McDavid's free agency still two years away, it's difficult to predict what the salary cap will look like when his new contract kicks in. With Draisaitl's cap hit at $14 million, a $15 million cap hit for McDavid would make sense. That would add up to $120 million over eight years, the second-most lucrative contract in NHL history. If McDavid wants to make history, a $15.5 million cap hit would make a $124 million contract, tying Alex Ovechkin for the biggest contract ever.
With two years left on his current contract, McDavid still can't sign an extension until January 1st of 2025. While it'll surely still be a lengthy and complicated negotiation, chances seem high that the Oilers' best player will be an Oiler for life.
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