Edmonton Oilers: McDavid Set to Sign New Deal, Per Reports

The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly ready to re-sign captain Connor McDavid once July 1 comes around. And this potential deal is quite an expensive one.

As per multiple reports, McDavid is set to sign an eight-year extension with an AAV of around $13.25 million. That is a lot of money, but all of course, deserving for a player of his calibre.

Edmonton Oilers

Still, McDavid’s contract makes sense, and keeping him happy and committed to the Oilers organization is important. The 19-year-old had an outstanding sophomore

The 19-year-old had an outstanding sophomore year to say the least. McDavid finished with 30 goals and 100 points through 82 games, and also took home the Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Hart Memorial Trophy this year. He also became the youngest player in NHL history to serve as team captain and will be featured on the NHL18 cover.

Going into this season, the Oilers have around $17 million in cap space, but McDavid’s contract will not take effect until his entry-level deal ends next year. Edmonton still has to sign Leon Draisaitl to a long-term extension, which will likely be at least $7 million AAV. Also, the Oilers still need to address their qualified RFAs (not too expensive) and sign free agents to add more depth.

So, while McDavid’s contract will eat a lot of salary, it should not gravely impact the team this year. Down the road, things get dicey; Mark Letestu and Patrick Maroon are due for extensions next year. Also, Ryan Strome, Drake Caggiula, Anton Slepyshev highlight the Oilers’ restricted free agents.

Next: Edmonton Oilers: Signing Gryba Smart on Many Levels

When it comes to rectifying this crunch down the road, Benoit Pouliot may have to be moved out, and the same may have to be said for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. However, the team will get to that later.