Speculation: Elephant in the room: Is McDavid going to be the biggest UFA ever in 2026?

[nerevarine]

People say Sam Bennett had a lot to do with inspiring Matthew Tkachuk to sign in Florida. Let’s see what happens when Sam Bennett and Connor McDavid are teammates for Canada.

I think its far more likely sam bennett will sign a 1 yr deal with Edmonton to play with McDavid

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Sigh. Here we go again. Another poster not understanding the economics of the salary cap era.

The pot for salaries is fixed and based on revenue. If one player takes a high salary, another player gets less.

For this reason, there is no intrinsic incentive for the PA to ask an individual player to take more.

Sounds like you think the lowest paid players hold just as much sway in the PA as the highest paid players? I have a really, really hard time believing that.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Sounds like you think the lowest paid players hold just as much sway in the PA as the highest paid players? I have a really, really hard time believing that.

Maybe you're American but it sounds a bit like you're not really sure what unions are, why they exist and what they do.

Besides, the NHLPA Executive Board is a mix of stars and non-stars.

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

The Oilers have tried to fill the staff with people close to McDavid. That could be because he's been unhappy with how the team has been run by those at the top (understandably at times). Either he is happy with the situation now his people are there or he's very frustrated and has seriously considered going.

He'll get another $120m easily over the next decade wherever he signs, so it is a matter of where is the best place for him to win a cup. $5m-$10m is a lot of money but is it better than winning a cup when you've got $220m+ in the bank anyway.

The Draisaitl deal was thought of as helping keep McDavid, but if you're McDavid you have the comfort that you know the franchise still has an elite player even if you leave.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Maybe you're American but it sounds a bit like you're not really sure what unions are, why they exist and what they do.

Besides, the NHLPA Executive Board is a mix of stars and non-stars.

Sorry, why would my nationality make a difference in understanding what a union is?

 

[Fishy McScales]

Sorry, why would my nationality make a difference in understanding what a union is?

Why indeed...

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Sigh. Here we go again. Another poster not understanding the economics of the salary cap era.

The pot for salaries is fixed and based on revenue. If one player takes a high salary, another player gets less.

This assumes 100% of the league is up against the cap.

For this reason, there is no intrinsic incentive for the PA to ask an individual player to take more.

I understand the logic here, but at the end of the day the PA doesn't want marquee players taking below market contracts. The optics of stagnant growth in top end salaries would be bad for the PA.

 

[Fishy McScales]

This assumes 100% of the league is up against the cap.

I'm not a capologist by any means, but I don't believe this is strictly speaking true. The cap is a 50/50 split forecast based on a projected mid-point between floor and cap, where escrow accounts for the difference after the season as the actuals come in.

The argument that the PA, a labour union, wants their stars to take a bigger piece of the pie away from everyone else is still an argument that doesn't make sense.

It's one thing to be incorrect about something and then double down when having it pointed out like that guy did, it's human. I do it too sometimes. But why would go out of your way inserting yourself into a discussion spouting nonsense?