- McDavid says the NHL’s salary explosion has been “a long time coming” for the league
- Makar, Celebrini, Carlsson, Kaprizov and Bedard all signed for more than his $12.5 million cap hit
- Read below for the full quote and his take on American stars leaving Canadian teams
Connor McDavid is watching the rest of the league sprint past him on the payroll, and he sounds perfectly happy about it.
The Oilers captain spoke Tuesday at the NHL’s annual Player Media Tour in Henderson, Nevada, where he was asked what ran through his head as one enormous contract after another landed this summer.
“I was thinking: That’s a lot of money. That’s a lot of money that they all signed for, and deservedly so. You know, it’s been a long time coming for our league, to see some of those numbers. Good on those guys for pushing for that. You’re slowly starting to see some player ownership in terms of things.”
Here’s Sportsnet’s Luke Fox with the quote:
The gap is not small. McDavid re-upped last year on a two-year, $25 million extension that kicks in this season, a deliberate discount that gave Edmonton room to build around him. Five players will out-earn him on their new deals.
| Player | Team | AAV |
|---|---|---|
| Cale Makar | Avalanche | $20.4M |
| Macklin Celebrini | Sharks | $18.8M |
| Leo Carlsson | Ducks | $18M |
| Kirill Kaprizov | Wild | $17M |
| Connor Bedard | Blackhawks | $15M |
| Connor McDavid | Oilers | $12.5M |
What McDavid likes most is the leverage behind those numbers. Stars are now dictating where they play, how long they sign for and how big a slice of a growing revenue pie they take.
“That’s all positive stuff, as a player. I’m sure ownership and management have some different thoughts, but as a player, I think it’s all great things.”
McDavid also fielded a question about the run of American-born stars forcing their way out of Canadian markets, a list that now runs through Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg. He declined to name names.
“I don’t know if it’s Americans wanting to leave Canada or if it’s simply just they don’t see the opportunity to win on that specific team.”
Pointing to Edmonton’s summer additions of Ryan Shea and Trent Frederic, both Americans, the captain said the problem is opportunity rather than geography.
“Americans still want to play in Canada. At least, that’s the sense that I get. They want to play for teams where they see a future.”
Quinn Hughes is the live test case on both counts. He got out of Vancouver, and the word around the league is that he still hasn’t committed to Minnesota long term, with the pull of playing alongside his brothers hanging over everything:
Hughes reaches unrestricted free agency in 2027, one year ahead of McDavid. The discount the Oilers captain handed his club looks smaller every week, and Edmonton already grades out 29th in Daily Faceoff’s salary cap rankings.
McDavid becomes a UFA on July 1, 2028. Paying the best player in hockey what the market now says he is worth is a bill that comes due in two summers.
