NHL Analyst Points Oilers 'Core Four' Issue If Connor McDavid Re-Signs

Although Bissonnette was kind of joking with his comments and he did so playing off the Maple Leafs’ much-discussed cap strategy, his case is solid in that both Toronto and Edmonton haven't won a Cup with their current cores.

The Maple Leafs build their core around four top-dollar stars — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares — while sacrificing depth due to limited room under the salary ceiling.

Bissonnette suggested Edmonton may face a similar issue involving McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse and Bouchard, although those four have carried the Oilers to the finals on back-to-back seasons.

“Quick math: other than next year with McDavid only making $12.5 (million), I believe, we can get the amount of money that $18.5, $14, $9.5, and $10 for Bouchard,” Bissonnette said. “Add that up and divide it by what the cap will be in a year.”

Draisaitl is set to begin his new deal at $14 million AAV, Evan Bouchard is projected to hit around $10 million on his next contract, and Darnell Nurse already earns $9.25 million per season. 

If McDavid inks a deal near the speculated $18.5 million mark, the Oilers could be committing over $56 million to four players by 2027, with the salary cap projected for $104 million.

Those four players alone would take 53.8 percent of the cap, which aligns with what the Leafs' Core Four earned this season, taking 52.9 percent of the $88 million maximum.