Normally, in the sports world, these things build on one another. Player A signs a big contract, then Player B comes in behind them and tops them. It’s the natural way of the world (and something that players’ unions love to see). However, every once in a while, a player decides that his best fortunes lie upon a different track, and they take a team friendly deal.
After Kirill Kaprizov raised the bar last week with an 8-year, $17 million-per-season deal that was the richest in the cap era, the speculation was that Connor McDavid, who was also set to be a free agent at the end of the season, would top that, possibly becoming the league’s first $20 million-a-year player. That didn’t happen. Instead, McDavid decided to extend the deal and cap hit he was currently playing under - $12.5 million.
In doing so, he highlighted the fact that his situation was vastly different than Kaprizov’s. McDavid is widely acknowledged as the best player in the league. He could have walked after this season and had every club wooing him day and night, but he chose to stick with the back-to-back Western Conference Champions. Due to their cap situation, he couldn’t shoot for the sky, so he decided on a different tactic - a short-term deal.
McDavid signed a two-year contract, keeping him with the Oilers through the 2027-28 season. He’s given himself an out if Edmonton falls from contention. The team is now on notice that they better do everything they can to capture the Stanley Cup over the next three seasons, or else they could see him walk away at an age where he can still draw an impressive salary.
On the other hand, Kaprizov is all-in with the Wild. He’s signed for the better part of the next decade. Unlike Edmonton, who are already saddled with expensive players on the back-half of their high-dollar contracts, the Wild are a fairly young club just entering their Stanley Cup contending window. Kaprizov saw the situation and decided it was the best fit to add a Cup to his collection. The fact that Minnesota was in the best position to pay him the most money was an added bonus.
The dichotomy between the two deals shows that every player has their own situation. What is good for Kaprizov might not have been good for McDavid, or Kyle Conner, or Jack Eichel (the next two players up for massive contracts). Comparing them, or expecting them to play off of each other is the wrong way to look at it. The two negotiations were never going to be the same, something that their agents likely brought up during their talks with the clubs.
While the negotiations might have been separate, the future of the two will be intertwined, and it’s not just the players that are affected. General manager Bill Guerin’s legacy will be defined on how Kaprizov performs as the richest player in league history. If he succeeds, the reward was worth the risk. If it doesn’t, then Guerin will be the guy who overpaid his superstar by millions. It’s the type of risk that costs GMs their jobs.
Farther west, the pressure is on Stan Bowman. McDavid gave him the flexibility to improve the roster as they chase the elusive Stanley Cup that they’ve been so close to the last two seasons. If he isn’t able to use the cap space to make the right decisions over the next two seasons, McDavid can walk away and chase his dream elsewhere.
Two players in two different situations chose different paths as they chase the same goal - the Stanley Cup. The season will determine which one is the correct path.