It’s time for some more NHL rumours. We’re into October, and that means the impending start of the regular season. Teams are preparing to take the ice soon. However, general managers are trying to get some important deals done. It seems like the logjam of big-time deals could be clearing. This is especially true after Kirill Kaprizov signed his massive contract extension with the Minnesota Wild.
The hockey world’s attention now turns to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. This edition of NHL rumours deals with where things stand after the Kaprizov signing.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Where Things Stand With the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid
Rumour: We take a look at what may happen with McDavid and the Oilers. TSN provided an update on what’s next between the two sides after the landscape-changing contract from Kaprizov.
Analysis: Minnesota inking the Russian to the richest contract in NHL history will have a knock-on effect. We already saw restricted free agent Luke Hughes get his seven-year deal done to stay with the New Jersey Devils.
We could see other players like Jack Eichel, Adrian Kempe, and others now move forward with their own respective talks. Kaprizov’s signing has reset the market, and the rest of the league will now move forward.
One wonders how this will affect McDavid and his contract. We’ve reported in previous editions of NHL rumours that McDavid could take a less-than-expected contract value to give him a better shot at winning that elusive Stanley Cup.
The 28-year-old superstar is heading into the final year of his eight-year, $100 million deal that sees him make $12.5 million per season. One wonders where things will head now that Kaprizov has laid down his marker.
What It Means
We’ll first touch on what Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman said to the media. Bowman said that he’s had talks with McDavid’s agent, Judd Moldaver, and that they’ve had “good chats.”
The Edmonton GM didn’t offer a prediction that the team captain will have a new deal in place before the October 8 season-opener against the Calgary Flames. There is a segment of Oilers fans who are worried that their superstar player will walk away for nothing. However, Bowman is concentrating on the here-and-now, and things could fall into place.
TSN’s Chris Johnston gave his interpretation on what may happen if and when McDavid does sign. Johnston said that the deal will likely last between two and four years. However, he doesn’t think Kaprizov’s $17 million cap hit is going to play into the final AAV.
The insider added that McDavid is an element all to himself. McDavid is going to operate in his own universe and may not sign the richest deal despite being tabbed as the best player in the world.
Edmonton needs to address other areas in the lineup if it wants to finally break its 35-year Stanley Cup drought. Taking less money would give the Oilers the ability to fill other holes in the lineup. However, we won’t know until the deal gets signed.
Main photo by: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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