Top NHL Reporter Reveals What He Believes Connor McDavid Is Worth On His Next Deal

The Edmonton Oilers just gave Leon Draisaitl the richest deal in NHL history on an AAV basis, but with superstar captain Connor McDavid set to be a free agent in the summer of 2026, they've got a much richer deal upcoming.

Given his incredible production and just how much he means to Edmonton, many predictions have him earning as much as $17 million on his next deal, a massive $3M increase from his star teammate as the top contract in the league.

Now however, Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic has now made a major prediction, revealing that he believes with the rising salary cap that is set to go up over $25 million in the next three years, McDavid could be targeting a much higher number.

According to Luszczyszyn, McDavid should look to earn $20 million AAV on his next deal, and with the cap going up from $88 million this season to $113.5 million in 2027/28, that may somehow be a feasible number.

Since arriving in the NHL, McDavid has averaged 124 points in his career on an 82-game average, with three Art Ross Trophy awards making him arguably the best player in the NHL, hitting free agency at the peak of his powers.

Whether he remains in Edmonton or seeks a bigger deal elsewhere is yet to be seen, but given what a superstar he is and how much teams would be willing to give him, the Oilers may have a hard time retaining him for anything less than $18 million a season.