TSN’s Hockey Insiders discuss Kirill Kaprizov’s mega deal, its effect on the rest of the market including Connor McDavid, the Devils/Luke Hughes and the Jets/Kyle Connor and the NHL-IIHF resuming World Cup of Hockey talks.

GINO REDA: Yes, history was made in the NHL, so how did it all come together and what’s the trickle-down effect for the game’s best player?

To discuss that and more, here are the Insiders: Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun, and Darren Dreger.

How did Wild, Kaprizov get historic extension done?

C.J., let’s start with the factors that had to fall into place to open the door for this historic contract to actually come to fruition.

CHRIS JOHNSTON: Yeah, it’s really a perfect storm of things colliding together. You’ve got the surging salary cap environment and for the first time ever, the cap is set two seasons beyond this one so there’s some idea of where it’s going.

You’ve got a superstar player in Kirill Kaprizov, who had his best year by points per game last season, even though he was injured for half that season.

And I think most importantly from the factors standpoint, you had a team that wasn’t going to let this player leave. The Minnesota Wild have patiently built their way up to being in a spot where they feel that they could become a contender.

They have a number of other key pieces signed, guys like Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, Joel Eriksson Ek, long-term and they believe that they can give this kind of contract to one guy in Kirill Kaprizov because he’s that special.

They weren’t going to let him go and that’s the reason he gets this monumental contract done.

How does Kaprizov’s megadeal affect salaries for McDavid, other stars?

REDA: Alright, now let’s talk trickle-down. Kaprizov is a star but he’s not [Connor] McDavid.

McDavid is still talking extension with the [Edmonton] Oilers but he says it’s critical that the team stays competitive. Given that balance, what do you think McDavid is now looking for from the Oilers, C.J.?

JOHNSTON: Well, here’s the truth. I understand why everyone wants to connect the two. The game’s best player, a new high-water mark for what the best paid salary is, but I don’t really think the two are actually that related.

Ultimately, Connor McDavid is operating in his own universe. Much the way he has been on the ice for the last decade in the NHL. I don’t think this deal does a whole lot when it comes to what McDavid’s next contract is going to look like for a couple reasons.

For one, he’s not likely to sign an eight-year deal. It’s pretty clear that if he and the Oilers come together on a contract extension in the near future, we’re talking a two, three, or four-year contract. So that alone might keep the number down.

But also, the Oilers do need some money to be flexible, to keep building that winner around him. I think, ultimately, there’s a world where Connor McDavid is considered the best player in the league and he may not sign the most expensive contract.

Another thing I’ll note here, Gino, there’s been some talk locally in Edmonton about Connor deferring salary before that mechanism gets taken away next Monday. I can tell you with certainty that’s not the kind of contract that’s going to get it done for him. If the Oilers sign him, it won’t include that.

REDA: Okay, McDavid is by far the biggest name on the list of pending UFAs but there are some other pretty big names on it, as well.

What does the new high-bar set by Kaprizov mean to the other stars on the pending UFAs list, Pierre?

PIERRE LeBRUN: Whereas C.J. points out McDavid is kind of a unicorn in all of this, I think it does have an impact on the rest of the market.

I got a mixed response from different people, there’s agents on one side, team executives on the other. Team executives will tell you that Minnesota were over a barrel here, that they had to overpay this player to keep him, that it’s a unique situation.

Sure, but as one agent said to me, this is a gravitational pull. That it’s $17 million now on the docket, on the market, it’s going to pull other salaries up for high-level players.

Who is the next player on that list? Jack Eichel is the biggest name that has a year left on his deal. There have been contract talks that have been underway, where does that end up?

I don’t know how much further north of Mitch Marner’s $12 million a year the Vegas Golden Knights would like to get to, but it’s probably going to have to be closer to $14 million a year for this to get done from the player’s side here, especially in the context of Kaprizov just signing for $17 million.

Now keep in mind, in Nevada there’s no state income tax so it’s a bit different with Vegas, and so on. But when I talked to other people around the league, they feel the Eichel deal may have a real domino effect when it comes to the next guys after that.

[Adrian] Kempe, [Alex] Tuch, [Martin] Necas, and so on. That’s the contract they feel, Eichel, that might really further the impact here.

What’s the latest on extensions talks between Connor, Jets?

DARREN DREGER: When we’re talking about the men that we’ve discussed here on Insider Trading, all of these guys have incredible priority, focus, and influence on the long-term success of each of these teams.

But each of these enormous contracts can be challenging for the individual clubs to get to.

I think of Kyle Connor with the Winnipeg Jets. They continue to grind away at that deal, but it has to be a deal that is good for the player and good for the organization.

There’s a want from ownership all the way through that organization to get this star player extended for a long time, but what does the structure look like for the Winnipeg Jets and Kyle Connor? How much of that structure has to be in a signing bonus?

So, they’re making progress, they’re grinding away, but they’re not at the finish line there yet.

Devils, RFA Hughes still working on contract ahead of new season

REDA: While the pending UFAs have got some time to get something done, we’re a week away from puck drop to the regular season and there are some key restricted free agents still looking for contracts before they can play this year, Pierre.

LeBRUN: Luke Hughes is the biggest name left and certainly people around the league are surprised that Mason McTavish got done before Hughes did.

What I can tell you is that there is daily, daily dialogue between Hughes and the New Jersey Devils, which is the positive. They tried to inch forward in this negation, it’s been an absolute grind, to steal a word from Dregs, but having said that, even though the two sides spoke again on this day, I’m told they’re still a tangible gap in those talks before they can get a deal one here.

And there’s urgency in this situation. The Devils really want to get this guy signed. The season is around the corner, everyone involved is feeling a lot of pressure, but still a gap here to get through.

IIHF to be involved in 2028 World Cup of Hockey?

REDA: With puck drop for the Winter Olympics now just five months away, are the NHL and IIHF going to get back on the same page?

We know the World Cup is going to happen, Dregs, but is the IIHF going to be part of it?

DREGER: Well, they’re trying. In August, I recall reporting the fact that the IIHF wasn’t going to be involved in the overseeing or management of the 2028 World Cup.

But since they point, the two sides have re-engaged in discussion. The National Hockey League is awaiting a new proposal from the IIHF, and the IIHF of course wants to be included in a major international event.

REDA: They are the Insiders, Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun, and Darren Dreger.