Connor McDavid Left Potentially $50+ Million On The Table To Sign His New Contract

Sports fans want to believe their favorite team's players are loyal to a fault. No matter the circumstances, they take pride in their city and wearing their uniform, and they'll do whatever it takes to bring a championship. That's often not actually the case, however. If a bigger and better deal comes along, or even a more favorable playing time situation presents itself, a player may make the move without much hesitation. And it's hard to fault them for looking out for their best interests.

That makes what Connor McDavid just did extra intriguing. Arguably the best player in the NHL agreed to re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers, the only team he's ever known. The new deal is for two years and $25 million. It'll keep McDavid at a $12.5 million cap hit, the same he's had since 2018.

McDavid said the contract, which will kick in after this season, was "about winning." And it's true—he left nearly $53 million on the table to give the Oilers room to make other moves to strengthen the roster. The Oilers have made the playoffs four years in a row and lost in the Stanley Cup Finals in the past two seasons.

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Under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, a player can sign for a maximum of 20% of the salary cap. For the upcoming season, that number is $95.5 million, meaning a star could max out at $19.1 million.

However, the NHL salary cap continues to increase, so a longer contract would typically increase further down the line. A player of McDavid's stature usually signs a long-term deal of six to eight years. If McDavid signed for eight years with that $19.1 million average annual value as a barometer, he'd ink a deal worth $152.8 million.

That's $6.6 million per year between a max contract and what McDavid actually signed for. Over eight years, that's $52.8 million that he's forgoing.

At first glance, it's a wonderful show of loyalty from McDavid. He's taking a hometown discount so the team can improve around him. But it's also likely a calculated move on his part. He's only committed to the team until 2028. He'll be 31 when that deal ends, and assuming he's still a high-level player, he could command another long-term deal. The salary cap will have risen even more by then, so 20% of the salary cap would probably be closer to $25 million per year.

To date, McDavid has made $95,625,000 in his NHL career, per Spotrac. He'll reach nine figures during this season. He's not exactly hurting for money—but he is hurting for a championship. And he's hoping this trade-off is worth it.