It was the announcement we’ve all been waiting for. Connor McDavid, our captain and league’s unanimous Most Valuable Player, has inked a long-term contract extension. McDavid’s second NHL contract will officially be worth $100 million spread over eight years. That’s a cap hit of $12.5 million per season. 

As Connor signs his new deal, keeping him in Edmonton for the next eights seasons following the expiration of his entry-level deal in 2018, I can’t help but think about how lucky we are to have him in the first place. When that golden lottery card turned over on April 18th, 2015, things changed for the Edmonton Oilers in almost every way. Instantly, the Oilers were catapulted into relevance and just having his name on the roster gave the team a chance to win on a nightly basis.

Having a player like Connor in the lineup can’t be understated. This guy makes absolutely everyone around him better and there are going to be current and future teammates that will make (have already made?) a truck tonne of money after riding shotgun on his line. Not to mention, having Connor McDavid for a full season contributed greatly to both Todd McLellan and Peter Chiarelli being nominated for NHL Awards.

The point is, Connor McDavid means opportunity for anyone lucky enough associated with him and his contract will be worth every single penny and then some. When you have the best player in the world on your team then you’re going to have to pay for the privilege and that payment will keep Connor McDavid in Edmonton for the next nine seasons. It’s going to be a fun decade of watching our captain grow and develop into, hopefully, one of the all-time greats. 

MAKE IT COUNT

When Darren Dreger first broke the news that Connor’s new contract could potentially land in the $14 million ballpark some people started to get nervous, but it was hard to argue that he isn’t worth that much money. Now that the details are officially out, and the fact that he reportedly wanted the deal to be cheaper than what was initially reported is a huge win for the Oilers. In only his second year, Connor McDavid led the NHL in points, took the Oilers to the playoffs, and netted himself both the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award as the most valuable player in the league.

I keep saying it, but that’s a luxury you’re going to have to pay for and the Oilers just dumped a truck load of cash in his bank account to prove it.

While we can (and will) debate about whether or not Peter Chiarelli was wise to invest this much of the salary cap in one player, I think we can all appreciate the fact that we’ll be watching the best player in the world for the next years. Personally, I think Connor will be worth every single penny of this contract and it will be up to Peter Chiarelli to find value contracts to surround him with, because, if he doesn’t, then it’s going to be his neck on the line.

Regardless of what will happen in the future, this is a momentous day for the Edmonton Oilers and the fanbase as we’re now guaranteed over a decade of watching the best player in the world.

Oh captain, my captain.

McDAVID’S CAREER SO FAR