Connor McDavid’s Shocking Extension Sets Up Oilers For Cup-Or-Bust Window
It's now officially do-or-die for the Oilers
My fiancée and I were out running errands on Monday, when we stopped at a deli for lunch. There, I got a notification that the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid had reached an agreement on an extension.
But when I saw that it was a two-year, $25 million deal ($12.5 million), I just about choked on my pastrami sandwich. I nearly needed my bride-to-be to give me Dr. Henry Heimlich's life-savin' anti-choking maneuver.
That's because I don't think I've ever seen the terms of a deal say so much.
Even Oilers GM Stan Bowman noted how unusual this was.
"This is unique," Bowman said, per Sportsnet. "I mean, I would say there's nothing else like this negotiation."
The best player in the world is taking a bridge deal for the same amount of money he's been making the last eight years, just days after Minnesota signed Kirill Kaprizov to an NHL record 8-year, $136 million deal.
Heck, this was even the last year players could sign eight-year deals at all, and McDavid took two!
Connor McDavid's new, unexpected contract extension means it's time for the Oilers to deliver a Stanley Cup as soon as possible. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
"In every other negotiation, it's focused on the money. So, this was really an unprecedented situation," Bowman said. "We had a great a number of really good conversations with (McDavid), and it was never once about term or dollars. It's extremely unusual, but the circumstances are unusual."
Bowman crossed off the biggest item on his to-do list, but now, the real work begins.
The subtext here certainly seems to be that McDavid is giving Edmonton the next three years (this year, plus this new extension) to win a Stanley Cup. After that, all bets are off.
He even left at least $5 million per year based on Kaprizov's deal on the table, which will help fill out the roster.
McDavid means business, but the Oilers need to deliver.
If not, in 2028, you've got to think McDavid will almost certainly be on the move.