Elliotte Friedman on Connor McDavid’s contract extension, expectations for the Canucks and more

Elliotte Friedman on Connor McDavid’s contract extension, expectations for the Canucks and more

Donnie and Dolly. The team is supported by abblections.ca. Closing your business. We can help. [Music] All right. Monday and all today’s guests, including Elliot Freriedman. We’ve been informed we need a minute or two and he’ll be standing by. Y sponsored by Rick Bant Motors. Check out their 34th anniversary sale happening all month long at Bant Motors. Check out the details online at bassant Motors bas.com or you can visit their showroom at 16315 Fraser Highway in Suriri right where the sky train’s going to be. Oh yeah, beautiful right there. Yeah, one of several places it’s going to be out that way. Okay, the big news today, and again, we’re gonna have Elliot Freeman on the show in a matter of moments. At least we uh we hope to. Conor McDavid, two-year contract extension, no raise, no decrease in pay, but no raise. Same money as he’s making right now, $12.5 million a year. So Connor is telling the Evans, “Look, I’m sticking around for a while. I’m giving you a fantastic deal. Do something with it.” and and if they don’t win in the next few years, he’s gone. You know, Austin Matthews contract is up at the same time as this guy. So is Zach Winsky. They all got the same agent. Think about it. You know, it’s not a coincidence. It’s only two years. But if they win the cup, Donnie, then maybe he signs for another eight years. Who knows? But this is uh he could have got or maybe he signs shortterm with those two players as teammates. Do the Oilers sign Babrosski at he’s he’s going to be UFA at the end of this season. There’s a lot of questions to be answered here. Remember when um Paul Korea and Timu Salani Colorado signed for $1 million each for one season? How’d that work out? It it it didn’t work out. But it was an example of two players not that long ago. I guess it was long ago. Time flies. But saying, “Look, we want to we want to we want to grab a cup here.” Tim Lani did did win a Stanley Cup. Where did it again go? Boston after Boston and Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh. When you try to force LA when you try to force uh try to force winning a cup, it doesn’t work, Donnie. It’s got to happen naturally. You give a shot. It worked out for Ray Bourke, right? Oh, yeah. That was the way. That was that was a trade. All right. I I believe Elliot Friedman joins us now from Hockey Night in Canada and the 32 thoughts podcast. Elliot, thanks for doing this, sir. How are you? I’m good, guys. How are you doing? Lovely. Well, good. I can imagine how busy you are uh today. Great work. a two-year extension for Conor McDavid. 12 and a half per. I think most people are stunned. Shocked. Your reaction? Yeah, I have to say I’m not uh I’m I’m not shocked at the term. I’m not shocked that the AAV is lower than we thought, but I was surprised at 12 and a half. I I did not see uh that one coming. And uh I I knew he’d take less. I didn’t think it was going to be I mean 12 a.5 per year, 25 million. It’s kind of funny to say that’s less, but I didn’t see that one coming. I knew it was going to be a team friendly deal. I didn’t realize it was going to be that team friendly. So, can you put into words the kind of pressure the Edmonton organization is now under with Conor McDavid giving them such a great deal? Yes. He I mean, look, he put like not only did they do that um not only did they do did he do this, but he also waited this long, Don. Like, he he definitely put the organization on notice. Like, don’t take me for granted. Um I want to win. He’s doing all the right things. He competes hard. He works hard. He everything he does is all about winning. And now he’s taken a salary that allows them to have a be in better position to have cap space. Like they could have over 20 million in cap space next year. Um but what he’s also done is say, “Hey, it’s not automatic.” You know, I have to see this go both ways. And even though this is a huge victory for the Oilers getting him done at any term, there’s no question he’s done it in a way that makes them say, you know what, we can’t afford to get too comfortable here. We have to be in this every year and looking like we’re constantly in this for years to come. Elliot, what would the NHLPA say about the best player in the world taking less? Well, you know what? Like it it’s it’s an interesting conversation, Rick, but you know, the one thing you have to remember is that this is a 50/50 league. So every dollar that one player takes is a dollar that somebody else can’t get. And I think at the end of the day, every player has to say, “Look, no matter what, I have to do what makes me happy. And there’s nothing that makes them happier uh than winning.” Now, do I think that some teams are going to go to their players? Like, could Vegas go to Jack Eel and say, “Look what Conor McDavid did?” Yeah. And yeah, I think some teams are going to try to put that pressure on their players. I have no doubt about that. And it’s up to a player and their agent in that situation to say one of two things. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, I get it. Or that’s his situation. That’s not my situation and they’re different. So that’s what you have that’s that’s all you can do is you can either say, “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Or our situations are not the same and I shouldn’t that that deal has no uh argument or validation on mine. Elliot, uh, the NHL regular season starts this week. Uh, what about the Conucks? What are you feeling coming out of camp about these guys? What are some of the things they’re trying to do? What’s your general feeling about Vancouver? Well, I thought it was really interesting. I I saw today that John Shannon reported that uh Coots uh um is is going to be in the lineup tomorrow. Um, so I think that’s uh I think that’s very interesting. I I I think that like that that’s an interesting move to me because I do think you’re trying and like teams I think always should say whoever makes the lineup deserves to be in the lineup. These all should be merit-based. But we al always know that doesn’t always occur. Yes. And so I think it’s very interesting that the Canucks are saying on merit this guy deserves to be here and therefore we’re gonna put him in here. I I think to me that’s the most fascinating short-term thing they’re doing. Look, I can tell you a lot of other things, Rick, that you already know and aren’t and and aren’t new, and that is the Canucks continue to look around and they’re happy to do something, but that thing is not there right now. So, we’ll see where it goes over the next little while. Uh take a look at uh the Canadian teams for me. U who do you think’s going to be a surprise? Uh who do you think’s going to go backwards to Canadian clubs? Um I know I’ll tell you this. There’s a lot of disrespect towards Winnipeg. Yes, I see that. I I Well, I think you are the leading Winnipeg disrespecttor. Uh there there is there is a lot of disres like that shirt couldn’t fit in Winnipeg especially in February. Come on. It is a beautiful shirt. I there’s a lot of disrespect towards Winnipeg that I just don’t get really. Um I know they’re injured, but I I still think they’re going to be okay. Um you know, I I think this I I think Vancouver is going to be better. Uh I think I I think Edmonton’s going to be really good. I think Calgary is going to be in a dog fight um for a lot of the playoffs to get there. Um I try not to overreact to the preseason, but I wasn’t crazy about what I saw from Calgary during the preseason. Uh I’m a little bit surprised they didn’t claim a backup goalender today. Um you know, Gridden made the team. I like that, but I wasn’t crazy about what I saw there. I think Winnipeg will be fine. I think Ottawa and Montreal are going to be fine. To me, the most fascinating team in in Canada is Toronto. Um I I just think that I I like the lot of them. I think Wool being absent and I don’t think at this point in time we have any idea of his return status. I think it kind of takes away something that was one of their biggest strengths last year was goalending. You know, Stallers and Wool were a good combination. I still think Toronto’s pretty deep, but um I think without Wool being there until we know when he’s going to return, I think you’re taking one of the strongest parts of their roster away from them, and that is their goalending combination. Uh so many people in Vancouver just so pleased to hear you say that the most fascinating NHL team in Canada is the Leafs. And there’s a lot of a lot of support out here for that. It was too It was too loud. Like that’s the be that’s the biggest victory I think for the Canucks so far this year, Don, is that there hasn’t really been a lot of news and noise about them. Well, I uh it’s just been really quiet. Yeah. Well, the the the thing that’s been loud is that there’s been promise from their young players, which we haven’t seen uh for a long time. Hey, speaking of Toronto, Elliot, in all seriousness now, what’s the buzz like in that city given what the Jays are up to? It’s huge. I went yesterday. Uh it was it was incredible. Um, you know, like people talk about uh pressure and and things like that. I think if you compete hard, uh these fans, they’ll love you forever. It’s the same as Vancouver. I mean, you know, and like people have always asked me like, if you were good enough to be a player, which I know I’m not, would you be able to play in a Canadian city? And I’d say absolutely. Um I think the risks are high, but the rewards are high. Um, you think of all the great Canucks players who um, like even not even some of the guys you wouldn’t list as some of the best Canucks players, but guys who play hard, they’re gods in that city. And I you look at the Blue Jays right now. I mean, the crowd was bonkers yesterday. That kid you savage. Um, you know what was interesting was he walked uh, judge and I think people were like, “Oo, I don’t know about this.” And then when he struck out the last two, like everybody in there believed in the first inning and it was crazy. Yeah, I I really think playing in Canada um is the risks are high, sure, but the rewards are enormous. And it’s like a poker pod, guys. Are you betting $1,000 to win $10,000? Yeah, you probably are. Yeah. Yeah. It’s And so many uh players who played in Vancouver, even if they’re not British Columbombians, come back and live here after their careers are over. Same thing. Same thing with Toronto. I know you’re busy, Elliot. We can’t thank you enough for this. Appreciate it. All right, guys. My pleasure.

Hockey Night in Canada Insider Elliotte Friedman joined the guys and shared his reaction to Connor McDavid’s contract with the Oilers and what he expects from the Canucks ahead of Thursday’s opener.