The Edmonton Oilers are in an eerily similar situation this season than the Toronto Maple Leafs were last year. Specifically, we’re talking about the Oilers’ impasse with Connor McDavid’s contract extension.
Last season, the Maple Leafs entered training camp without an extension for Mitch Marner. Speculation ran rampant about Marner’s desire to remain in Toronto. The former Leaf went out of his way to demand privacy and space.
The situation got so overblown that Marner had to do a staged sitdown interview with Elliotte Friedman before the start of last season to quell the angst of Leafs Nation. Marner said all the right things. Despite sounding like being coached by lawyers, the interview laid to rest speculation for much of the season.
Then, news leaked that the Maple Leafs had struck a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes that would have sent Marner to Carolina in exchange for Mikko Rantanen.
Marner axed the deal, saying he was committed to being with the Maple Leafs. In hindsight, it’s plain to see he wanted to sign with Vegas, not anyone else.
That situation is an unusual parallel to what the Oilers are going through this season. McDavid has said all the right things about wanting to win in Edmonton. He’s said he’s committed to the team and will work out an extension when he’s ready.
But those comments have done little to appease Oilers Nation. Fans are rightfully worried about losing their captain next summer.
Could it be that McDavid, like Marner, already has a team he wants to sign with? It’s a fair question to ask given the strange similarities between Marner and McDavid.
Teams interested in Oilers captain could tip their hand sooner rather than later
Teams looking to sign Connor McDavid will need to clear cap space to do so. The price tag on McDavid is reportedly hovering around $16 million per season. However, that price tag could jump, depending on the circumstances.
Like Marner, McDavid is unlikely to give anyone a hometown discount. He’ll want to get paid. And, plenty of clubs will be willing to do so.
That situation means that the moves some teams make in the coming months will signal if they feel that they have a shot at signing McDavid.
For instance, the New York Rangers are rumored to have stalled extension talks with Artemi Panarin. The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaded up on short-term deals. Other contenders like the Colorado Avalanche will need to jettison contracts to make things work.
Ultimately, the moves made, particularly leading up to the trade deadline, could dictate which teams have their eye on McDavid. Oilers fans shouldn’t be surprised to hear rumblings of a McDavid trade. Such a situation would be the worst-case scenario.
But like the Maple Leafs, the Oilers could seek to engage in a sign-and-trade deal to avoid losing the league’s best player for naught.