Is McDavid’s extension the greatest bargain in NHL history?

Is McDavid’s extension the greatest bargain in NHL history?

We have a very special guest for you here on the show today. And when I say guest, I mean plural guests because Mike Johnson and Craig Butner are joining me for their annual visit to preview the upcoming NHL season. Guys, how are you? I only show up at Craig House, my bodyguard. I know. That’s the only way I can get you. Yeah. Well, we’re happy to be here, but annuals, we should do this more often, right? I Well, it’s all up to you. Got to bring Mike more. Okay. I’m happy to do that. Yeah. I mean, Mike actually lives in the city, whereas you live across the country. So, maybe that you deserve a little more leeway, perhaps. Yeah. I I’m just saying we find a way to come in here a little more often and spend some time with you. Let’s work on it. Let’s get the belt corporate jet fired up. Last day without socks. Last day without socks, everybody. So, I know I know there’s some there’s some that are for it and some that are against it, but just so you know, my last day without socks. The part about you is that you don’t care what anyone’s for. You just do what you want. We respect that. Two years, 12 a.5 million on the AAV for Conor McDavid. Greatest bargain in NHL history, Mike Johnson. I there’s only one other one I could think of that came close when Paul Korea, who is still a great player, went to Colorado for 1 million, right? And he probably could have got nine somewhere else, but that was very specific to go with team and chase a cup. But as far as in the since 04 salary cap era, miles and away the greatest hometown discount anyone has ever offered up. Sydney Crosby’s been underpaid for a long time. But we’re talking about what Capri off just signed what the value of superstars is. He left easily if he wanted to and I’m happy he didn’t want it. I’m happy he’s happy he did what he chose to do but he would have been well 19 or 20 million dollars comfortably. So the fact that he gave Edmonton that much money, Craig, to go build a team, to win a cup, to try to do the one thing he’s never done, you respect, but you also have to acknowledge that that is a massive massive favor to Edmonton. Yeah. Massive favor and and also a massive responsibility to the Edmonton Oilers management now because what Conor McDavid has signified is his words are greater than his or his actions are greater than his words. He said that I’m here to win. I want to try to win again and again and again. So now for the management of the Edmonton Oilers, you now know that anything short of giving him the best opportunity, however that looks, whether it be goalending, whether it be a little bit more scoring, solidifying the defense, the depth, wherever it may be, that’s your mandate. And you cannot discount how Conor McDavid has put management’s feet to the fire. And you could say, well, he only signed two years, so is he getting ready to leave in two years if it doesn’t work? It doesn’t matter. You got him for two more years. You’re going to have him for what 13 years when it’s all said and done minimum. Y so whether he Today’s not the day to worry about what happens in two years or in three years. Now the fact is you have him for three more seasons at the most affordable number you could even imagine. And the best part is try to imagine the negotiation whereas agent Jud Mulver calls up Stan Bowman and says okay here’s what we’re going to do. We’re doing two for 12 and a half. And they would say excuse me we’ll turn that around in 30 seconds and get that signed. It was an incredible offer of really generosity. It’s like Kramer getting the coffee deal, right? I’ll take I’ll take it. Yeah, I’ll take Well, I mean like I don’t know if anybody saw the video. Do you want to know I’ll reenact the video when the offices of Stan Bowman and we’re and we’re gone. Greg doing the gritty here. There we go. Wait, but you you touched on something, Mike, that that I want to mention here. It is a three-year window now this year and then the extra two. If the Oilers don’t win at that point, would you have to expect that McDavid would be at out the door at that point? I guess it would depend on what the team looks like. If he sees the team still being his best chance to win or really competitive and be honest with him and dry stuff around, they’re going to be competitive and they’re going to spend in the gap and everything else, then it’s not a foregone conclusion. But if he doesn’t like how they look, he will be able to walk away from Edmonton and be fedded on his way to the airport. there’s no one who could ever say a bad word that he did not give them everything he possibly could. So, he’s given himself the luxury of knowing he can walk away with a clean conscience and and the fan support if that matters to him. But, I don’t think it’s a guarantee cuz he wants to win. So, he’s got to keep going to a place or stay in a place where he can win. So, Mike, I’m going to ask you this. Is there anything longer than a three-year window? I I I think a three-year window is what good contending teams fall into, right? Well, I mean, at this point, it’ll be like a six-year window for that because they’ve been really good the last several seasons. They’ve had a long run of excellence. Yeah, they’ve lost twice in the final. Okay, they’re losing to maybe one of the greatest teams we’ve seen in the last 40 years. So, there’s no shame in that. If they can find a way to get over the hump, then it will all have been worthwhile and it all would make sense and everyone will he probably stays forever if he if they happen to win a cup there. So, um three years is a long time. Yeah, a lot can happen, but Edmonton is going to be well positioned now for the next few. and they’ve signed Jake Walman, the defenseman who they acquired last year at the deadline to a 7-year $49 million extension. So, that’s another piece of business that Stan Bowman got done on Monday. My question for you guys is now looking at this roster and understanding the money savings that McDavid has provided Stan Bowman, what does Stan Bowman need to do right now to make this team even more competitive? So, the money savings, and Mike touched on this earlier when we were talking about it, is that Jake Walman’s 7 million was what Conor McDavid could have had. Yeah. Thanks. So that’s one big step there where Connor says, “Okay, this is what we can do.” They have Seavoy, they have Ike Howard who they’re hoping can come in and provide a little bit more offense. They’re unknowns. They’ve tried to add some free agents from Europe to try to add some depth into the blue line. there’s still some uncertainty there and and I have no problem with what they’re doing at this juncture in time. But when the time comes and you got to look at where you can strengthen your team or where you got to make additions that can really give your team like a a real boost, that’s where Stan has to be able to be bold and we’re going to have to wait to see how those guys do. But that team is still very much a work in progress and I think that obviously with dry settle and McDavid they’re phenomenal. They are. Zack Heyman will return. Bousard, this is a really top team. They’ve been trying all summer to maybe change their goalending. So, let’s not act like they’re totally satisfied with their goalending. Can be good at times, but probably be looking for an upgrade there. It’s hard to find in the NHL. And they need to go along with a goalending. More middle six scoring, right? You can’t just put dry settle on McDavid and say, “Oh my god, together they’re incredible apart. They’re really pretty good.” And that’s all we need. You need more than that. So, probably wingers and a goalender right now in the sort of immediate next few months. That’s what they’ll be looking for. And if they get that, then they’ll head into the playoffs as one of the bet most favorite four teams, one of the top four favorite teams to win a cup. And that’s all anyone can really hope for. And they went through this last year and they they were hopeful that Arvidson and Skinner could provide that. And despite them not being able to do it to the level that they were expected to maybe hope that they could do it, they still went to game six of the Stanley Cup final. Right. Yeah, absolutely. It’s been a good team the last couple of years. It’s going to be amazing to see how it all comes together this year. Guys, would you mind sticking around? I want to get your Stanley Cup predictions coming up. Maybe talk about some Can other Canadian NHL teams. What do you think? Yeah, I’m I’m in. I’m sitting here. I don’t see any reason to get up. If he leaves, I leave. If he stays, I stay. Perfect. They’re staying.

With Connor McDavid sending shockwaves through the NHL after signing a two-year, $12.5M extension with the Oilers, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button and TSN Hockey analyst Mike Johnson join SC with Jay Onrait to discuss whether it is the greatest bargain in NHL history and what the Oilers can do with the money saved on McDavid’s extension.