Edmonton Oiler fans, breathe, Connor McDavid will be around a while. Though it had been rumored that the young superstar would possibly only take a five year deal to get an even bigger payday at a younger age, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is hearing that the two are closing in on a deal that will pay him something around $13.25MM per season for the next eight years. McDavid is eligible for an extension on July 1st, and has one year remaining on his current entry-level contract. The extension would kick in for 2018-19. 
Getting McDavid in for eight more seasons is important, as it buys out some extra free agent years. Had he signed for just five, he would have hit the open market at just 26 and likely been in line for an even bigger deal. Not that there has ever been a bigger deal, as this extension would easily top the largest contracts in the NHL. Currently, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews share the top cap hit at $10.5MM, though certain players do earn more on various individual years of their deals. Anze Kopitar for instance will be paid $14MM this season in real salary, though his cap hit comes in at $10MM.
McDavid is easily the most important young player in the league, fresh off an Art Ross, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. His 100 points easily paced the league and at just 20-years old he’s arguably the best player in the world. That said, a deal of this magnitude has ripples all over the league. For his own team, it locks one player into nearly 18% of the current cap and if it stays relatively flat for the next few seasons the Oilers could be in huge trouble. With a big extension due for Leon Draisaitl as well, the team could find themselves in a situation similar to Chicago, who have had to move good young players out consistently in order to keep Toews and Kane on the books.
Elsewhere, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs are probably pulling their hair out at the news as Auston Matthews will be due an extension next summer. Though he’s not quite the player McDavid is, he actually put up a better rookie season because of health issues and could be in line for a similar deal should he eclipse 40 goals again next season. That’s something that would be tough for any team, but with the Maple Leafs needing to sign Mitch Marner and William Nylander at the same time, money will get short fast.
This is part of a growing trend that is taking hold in the NHL, to lock up your young stars to long-term deals with big cap hits right away. You can see the effects in the free agent market this year, that is littered with players in their mid to late thirties or those that have underperformed for years. It’s why when players like Steven Stamkos get even a sniff of free agency, the entire league goes crazy. We’ll have to see when the final number comes in for McDavid, but rest assured that we won’t see him on the open market for quite some time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
RIP Edmonton’s cap structure.
yeah, he better be the next Gretzky because he is going to kill their ability to sign, acquire, or keep depth. He is taking 2.75 mil more than the next best player. That is nearly what the capitals paid Justin Williams…