The Minnesota Wild signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136-million contract extension will make the 28-year-old left winger the NHL's highest-paid player starting next season.
It also raised questions among the punditry over how it will affect the 2026 UFA market.
Connor McDavid tops next summer's UFA class, but The Hockey News' Jim Parsons and TSN's Chris Johnston don't see Kaprizov's contract having any effect on McDavid's negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers.
Johnston believes McDavid prefers a short-term contract over a long-term deal, speculating he could get something between two and four years. As for salary, he pointed out that the Oilers need salary-cap flexibility to maintain a competitive roster around their captain.
Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Journalbelieves McDavid must choose between the security of a long-term contract at a guaranteed $144 million if he pursues the cap maximum annual salary, or a short-term one where his salary rises with the cap in a few years, despite the injury risk.
Tychkowski's colleague, Jim Matheson, doubts McDavid will accept a lower average annual value than Kaprizov's $17 million. He predicts the Oilers' superstar will give his club a discount of $18 million annually on a two or three-year contract.
Why Connor McDavid Shouldn't Consider An Oilers Discount After Kaprizov SigningNews that Minnesota Wild superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract extension Tuesday sent ripple effects throughout the NHL – most notably, in Edmonton, where Oilers dynamo Connor McDavid is in need of a contract extension.
Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun agreed with Johnston that Kaprizov's contract will have little effect on McDavid's negotiations. He felt other notable UFAs would be affected, like Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights, Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings, Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres, and Martin Necas of the Colorado Avalanche.
Vegas Hockey Now's Hannah Kirkell cited several NHL insiders predicting that Eichel could get a new contract from the Golden Knights with an average annual value between $13 million and $14 million.
While that's a lot of money, Kirkell pointed out that it would only be between 12.5 and 13.46 percent of next season's $104 million salary cap.
Bleacher Report's Frank Seravalli believes Kaprizov's deal could push Necas' salary much higher than the Avalanche might prefer, especially if the 27-year-old right winger has another point-per-game season alongside Nathan MacKinnon. He didn't rule out a $10 million average annual value for Necas.
Kaprizov's deal also ensures Winnipeg Jets left winger Kyle Connor will get a significant raise. TSN's Darren Dreger reports the two sides continue to grind away in negotiations, seeking a deal that makes sense for both sides.
Connor's been a consistent scorer for the Jets, sitting eighth among the league leaders in total goals (282) since 2017-18. He also has two 90-plus point seasons on his resume, including a career-high 97 points in 2024-25. Connor is earning an AAV of $7.142 million, and another 90-point season could earn him a raise of around $12 million annually.
Kempe has led all Kings scorers with 139 total goals since his 2021-22 breakout season. Another solid performance this season could see his AAV rise from $5.5 million to $10 million.
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