Elliotte Friedman hails Connor McDavid worthy of $50,000,000 contract if the Oilers could pay mammoth figure

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes Connor McDavid is worth every bit of a $50 million-per-year contract if the Oilers are allowed to offer that kind of salary. McDavid, entering the final year of his current deal, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

On his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman discussed how McDavid and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov are expected to headline the next wave of massive contracts in the league:

“I think a lot of players expect that the two highest salaries after this wave of signings are going to be McDavid and (the Wild’s Kirill) Kaprizov. And look, I don’t think anyone’s going to have issue. If the Oilers could pay McDavid $50 million, he would deserve $50 million.”

He emphasized that no one would question McDavid’s value if Edmonton could offer $50 million annually, saying that the Oilers would gladly pay that amount if league rules allowed.

Friedman also noted that once McDavid and Kaprizov sign their deals, it would set the market for other top UFAs next summer:

“So once those players sign, I think you’ll see some of those other potential top UFAs next year say, okay, now the top, top, top of the market has been set. It’s easier for me to find the sweet spot or the comfortable place with the team to go after those two guys are done.”

After leading Edmonton to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, falling both times to the Florida Panthers, locking Connor McDavid long-term remains the Oilers' biggest priority.

---

NHL insider Bob Stauffer predicts timeline for Connor McDavid's Oilers extension

On the Oilers Now podcast, NHL insider Bob Stauffer shared his insights on the contract extension timeline for several high-profile players, including Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.

Stauffer foresees a scenario where extensions for McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman and Vasily Podkolzin could be completed by Aug. 28.

"I'd say by August 28th with is a Thursday, a month from today, I could foresee a scenario where extensions are done on Podkolzin, Walman, Ekholm and McDavid. Seravalli and myself both said, you know, 100% Connor would re-sign, all along," Stauffer said.

He expressed confidence that Connor McDavid's re-signing with the Oilers is a foregone conclusion, saying that "100% Connor would re-sign, all along."

Interestingly, Stauffer suggested that the timing of these extensions could be influenced by the wedding of Oilers captain Leon Draisaitl. He speculated that "some traction" on the extensions could occur after Draisaitl's nuptials and hinted at a potential extension for coach Kris Knoblauch as well.

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Bhargav