Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

'Everyone knows that Connor McDavid will be the first $20 million-a-year player.'

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 10:08 AM ET

A year from now, Connor McDavid can become a free agent.

Should we expect him to leave Edmonton? Not necessarily, no. In fact, even if the rumours were true, I’d still be surprised to see McJesus play anywhere other than Alberta.

We could be surprised, but… let’s just say it would be quite a surprise.

A big clue that McDavid will stay with Jeff Jackson and Kris Knoblauch in Edmonton is the fact that Leon Draisaitl, one year away from his 2024 independence, has chosen to stay with the Oilers for the long term.

Would he have chosen to stay knowing that McDavid was on his way out? Possibly not.

And on that subject, Renaud Lavoie talked about the Oilers captain this morning with Maxime Lalonde and Anthony Desaulniers on BPM Sports. He talked about the contract he’s in line to sign.

Not only did he say nothing to suggest that McJesus will leave Edmonton, but Lavoie added this:

Everyone knows that Connor McDavid will be the first $20-million-a-year player. – Renaud Lavoie

What the journalist mentions is that Draisaitl earns $14 million a year and signed the contract when the salary cap was around $80 million a season.

And not only is McDavid better, but the cap will soon be $110 million.

Remember that in the NHL, players and teams operate on the percentage of the cap. McDavid, who could therefore sign for $160 million, will thus be visibly approaching the 20% that a player is entitled to have under the cap.

Will the Oilers be able to win with two players earning $34 million a year? We’ll see. But in the meantime, winning this year, when the guys are earning a more reasonable salary, might be a good idea.