With Leon Draisaitl’s $14M deal finalized, all eyes turn to Connor McDavid, who is projected to become the NHL’s first $20M-per-year player ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Bollywood Fever: Following Leon Draisaitl’s monumental contract extension, the spotlight in Edmonton has now shifted to Connor McDavid, as the hockey world speculates about his upcoming deal.
Draisaitl’s new contract, which pays him $14 million per season for the next eight years, marks the highest Annual Average Value (AAV) deal in the NHL. However, that record could soon be eclipsed by McDavid.
According to Marc de Foy of Le Journal de Montreal, McDavid is expected to make history as the first NHL player to earn $20 million per year when he signs his next contract ahead of the 2026-27 season.
De Foy confidently predicts that McDavid, widely regarded as the best player in hockey, will obliterate current salary benchmarks.
“It is already certain that Connor McDavid will become the first hockey player to earn at least $20 million per year,” de Foy wrote, citing Draisaitl’s deal as a mere stepping stone in what is to come for McDavid.
With McDavid eligible to sign an extension as early as July 2025, his next contract is poised to redefine the market.
De Foy believes that McDavid’s salary demands will be a “mere formality” given his unparalleled performance on the ice and the evolving financial landscape of the NHL.
However, McDavid’s potential $20 million annual salary raises significant questions for the Edmonton Oilers.
The NHL’s salary cap is set at $88 million for the next season, meaning that McDavid and Draisaitl alone would account for more than 38% of the team’s cap space. In de Foy’s scenario, the Oilers would still need to build a competitive roster with 21 other players while navigating this financial constraint.
With McDavid’s current contract set to expire in two years, many wonder how the Oilers will manage their cap space and what the future holds for the franchise. As McDavid gears up to become the highest-paid player in NHL history, his contract will undoubtedly shape the team’s strategy for years to come.
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