Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov

Connor McDavid Will Go Short-Term on His Next Deal

Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com, Full Press Hockey, and RG Media joined TSN Radio in Montreal on Tuesday. He was asked about Connor McDavid and whether he could go short-term on his next deal with the Edmonton Oilers.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Host: “Yeah, it does look like, and sound like, that’s potentially the route that Connor McDavid is going to go right?”

Jim Biringer: Yeah. “I mean, if he takes, he takes a two-year deal or a three-year deal and say, what if he only takes a one-year deal and says, Hey guys, I’m putting pressure on you in Edmonton. You’ve got to put the winner on the ice.

And right now, from the off-season moves they kind of lost what they had two seasons ago when they were in the Stanley Cup Final. I was there at Game 7, the first time they lost. The team right now is not as good as the team that lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers a couple of seasons ago. I’m going to be honest with that.

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I think McDavid is going to stay in Edmonton, but I only think he’s going to take a short-term deal. I don’t think it’s going to be eight years, like people think. It might be only four years, and he’s going to say, ‘All right, what can you do for me in this short window so we can win and get back there and hoist the Stanley Cup.’”

Wild Will Push For Eight Years, But Kirill Kaprizov Will Likely Go Short Term in Minnesota

Jim Biringer joined TSN Radio in Montreal on Tuesday, and was asked about Kirill Kaprizov and how long his next deal will be with the Minnesota Wild. Could Kaprizov take the Marner route or sign short-term?

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Host: “So Jim, completely different with Kirill Kaprizov with the Minnesota Wild, right? And what I think makes his case interesting is that he is going to get more money than what he deserves. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. I mean that in the Minnesota Wild will have to overpay because they know they cannot be overly, they will not be overly successful, and they haven’t been overly successful in free agency.

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And if McDavid were ever, to make it to the open market, I don’t think the Minnesota Wild will be in on and we’ll be able to compete with some of the other bigger clubs in this league. So that contract, that number might be eye-popping, but I understand completely where the Minnesota Wild are coming from.

Do you see that scenario playing itself out now? Or do you think that Kaprizov will be, no listen, going to do what other guys did? Going to do what Mitch Marner did? I’ll test the free agent waters this time next year.”

Jim Biringer: “I mean, all reports indicate they’re not close on a new extension. But I do believe Kirill Kaprizov is going to get $15 million. That he’s going to get more than Leon Draisaitl, and he deserves it. He may get more. He may get more than 15. Right? 15.5. Could he get 16? That would be a hard pill to swallow for Minnesota.

But as you said, he’s the best player in that franchise’s history. Without Kirill Kaprizov, the Wild aren’t getting to the playoffs, and they’re not really doing anything, and if they lose him, the Wild are not going to be a good franchise in the Central Division.

It’s already tough enough to compete in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL. If you lose a player like that, your odds of making the playoffs go down drastically; they’re going to do whatever it takes to sign them. I mean, it doesn’t help the Wild’s negotiation power right now, when the GM and the owner come out and say, Hey, we’re going to pay him whatever he wants, like we can just match whatever he wants. Whatever he wants, we’re going to give him.

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Again, would I do that publicly? Probably not, but it shows a sign to the fan base that, hey, we value this player. We know his value to the team. We know what he can bring to the team, and we’re going to have to pay him $15 million over a four or five-year deal. Is it six? They’re going to try to lock it in.

Bill Guerin wants to go long-term with him. He wants to go eight years. He probably should have done eight years last time. He didn’t get it done. He’s going to want to push for eight years. But as we talked about earlier, with the rising cap and players knowing what their worth is and the comparables out there. Other guys setting the market, you’re not going to want to have the best value contract anymore, you’re going to get paid for what you’re worth is and I think a guy like Kaprizov is probably going to go short term again with the Wild.”

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