"In the last week or so, we have seen a number of team-friendly deals which again highlight how players in the NHL have this win-now mentality more than big eyes for cash, and despite the salaries being big, they definitely could have been a lot bigger. For example, Connor McDavid's two-year, $12.5 million AAV deal is a perfect example of wanting to win."
"Following Kirill Kaprizov's $17 million AAV deal in Minnesota, McDavid 100 percent could have gone out and demanded anywhere up to $20 million AAV, but the $12.5 million price tag shows us all we need to know about the desire of the some of the best players in the NHL. The McDavid deal is the perfect example of teams and players having the mutual understanding of winning, and why at the end of the day, salary comes second."
The NHL offseason produced several team-friendly contracts that prioritized winning over maximum pay. Connor McDavid signed a two-year contract at $12.5 million AAV despite the precedent of Kirill Kaprizov's $17 million AAV, foregoing potential demands up to $20 million AAV. McDavid's cap hit allowed the Oilers to sign Mattias Ekholm for three years at $4 million AAV and extend Jake Walman for seven years at $7 million AAV. Jamie Benn and John Tavares accepted significant pay cuts to improve their teams' playoff and Cup prospects. Team-friendly deals preserved salary cap flexibility and reinforced a win-now culture.
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