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Sunday Scramble: NHL Player Poll, Ducks Playing Hardball, and more
Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Menzies
Sep 21, 2025, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 21, 2025, 09:42 EDT
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We’re leaning heavily on the NHL Player Poll conducted this week by The Athletic, because there are a few things to note. Give a player anonymity, and suddenly they’ll say something half interesting.
One point that’s been raised on Twitter about Connor McDavid’s contract is how interested the NHLPA will be. It’s easy for fans to think that just means the union wants the Oilers’ captain to get every last dollar. That’s true, but it also goes deeper. Players who are one year away from free agency are watching curiously. What McDavid signs for could have a ripple effect on the entire marketplace.
The player poll asked what McDavid would sign for. The largest group (13 players) said between $16 and $16.9 million. Six players simply answered, “Whatever he wants.”
Take these two quotes from unnamed Western Conference players. One said, “I want to see him get 20 percent of the cap,” one of the three who responded to the $20 million option in the poll. Another said, “You ask me, he should get whatever he wants. That’s the best player in the league, and there’s no one even close. Obviously, it affects the team, but at the end of the day, what he gets, he deserves. He’s the best player in the league, and it’s time the best players in the league start getting what players in other leagues get.”
Yes, some players may secretly want McDavid to hamstring the Oilers. But most of the league is probably hoping he resets the market. McDavid’s $12.5 million extension stood as the highest cap hit for the majority of its term. COVID hurt the cap, but with revenues climbing, a new standard is overdue. Kirill Kaprizov reportedly turned down $16 million per year. The system is backwards: stars sacrifice dollars “for competitiveness” while the middle and lower tiers max out their contracts. Whatever McDavid signs for, he’ll still be underpaid.
Does Connor care about Ross Johnston’s contract situation? No. That’s not why there’s a delay or uncertainty. But his decision represents a paradigm shift. The old culture that says “a star is selfish if he takes top dollar” doesn’t resonate in locker rooms like it used to. Fans might still see it that way. It’s still jarring to compare NHL salaries to the NBA and see a mediocre guard making more than McDavid. But this is business. When the game thrives, those driving the product should be rewarded.
With the cap going up, the poll also asked players about short versus long-term contracts. “With the salary cap skyrocketing, are you more open to a short-term deal?” Twenty-one said yes, seven said no, and eight said it depends. We thought the days of Parise, Suter, and Kovalchuk mega-length contracts were gone for good, but things change quickly.
That gamble isn’t taken lightly. Millions are at stake if you pick wrong or get hurt. Hockey players are generally conservative compared to other athletes, so max deals will still dominate. Think Trent Frederic signing for eight years this summer. Many players just see contracts as a distraction. I think McDavid does too. His priority is playing. Everything else comes second. Lauren can handle the rest.
Another big note from the poll was the love affair with Macklin Celebrini. Asked “Not including current stars, who’s the next face of the NHL?” 24 of 39 players said Celebrini. Four voted for Gavin McKenna, and three for Connor Bedard.
“He’s like a cross-breed of Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron,” said one Western Conference centre. “I feel Bedard needs help to be good. Celebrini, I feel like he’s carrying his line, his team.”
It’s wild how quickly Celebrini has ripped the “Next One” torch out of Bedard’s hands. Celebrini finished third in Calder voting, scored 25 goals and 38 assists despite missing a dozen games, and played for Team Canada at the Worlds. Bedard outscored him by four points but played every game and turned down Canada’s invite. That was a mistake. Crosby looked like he wanted to adopt Celebrini during the tournament.
Bedard still has massive offensive upside, but Celebrini’s 200-foot game, paired with an excellent rookie season, has him ahead for now. The wildcard is McKenna, whose draft buzz already eclipses both. The fact that players who haven’t faced him yet are giving him votes says a lot. Penn State games will be must-watch.
Mar 4, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Mason MacTavish (23) and Edmonton Oilers forward Connor Brown (28) battle during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

How far is Pat Verbeek willing to go?

The Anaheim Ducks general manager is once again playing hardball, this time with restricted free agent Mason MacTavish. In a season that is vitally important for the Ducks to finally do something, one of their core pieces is stuck practicing with a junior team right now. Joel Quenneville is busy at the whiteboard, MacTavish is doing flow drills with the Ottawa 67’s. According to Dave Pagnotta, the sides are somewhere between $5.5M and $8M. It’s been a long off-season. What’s going on?
“It’s disappointing that he’s not here, obviously,” Verbeek said this week. “We have virtually a whole new coaching staff, and the group is really excited like I’ve never seen before. There’s a new system that’s getting implemented. There are a lot of things to learn, and it takes a lot of reps to get it under each player’s belt. So when Mason gets here, he’s got a lot of catching up to do.”
Well, Verbeek, how about you get him there? The “Little Ball of Hate” is a stingy negotiator. He challenged Zegras while he held out. Troy Terry. Down to the wire of arbitration with Lukáš Dostál. While I admire how he watches his pennies, the Ducks have lots of them to give. A hair over $20 million in cap space, this is a tone-setting contract with the loaded volume of RFAs next summer: Carlsson, Gauthier, Lacombe, Zellweger, and Mintyukov.
The problem is, with Frank Nazar getting $6M-plus to get him on term, you aren’t going to win each contract. So, who do the Ducks value the most? MacTavish gets the benefit of being first, and the Ducks showed how important he is by dealing Zegras. Did I mention they haven’t made the playoffs for seven consecutive years? It’s a big season. Verbeek better figure it out because this reeks.

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