{"id":254507,"date":"2025-10-27T12:17:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/254507\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T12:17:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:17:09","slug":"was-connor-mcdavids-discount-ok-with-nhlpa-is-big-name-free-agency-dead-ask-cj-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/254507\/","title":{"rendered":"Was Connor McDavid\u2019s discount OK with NHLPA? Is big-name free agency dead? Ask CJ, part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was a distinct Olympic flavor to the questions in Saturday\u2019s Part 1 of our early-season mailbag<\/a>, with the Milan Games clearly on the minds of readers more than three months out from that tournament.<\/p>\n

I tackled more of those in Part 2 below while also diving into Connor McDavid contract fallout, Martin Necas\u2019 impending payday, trade options for the Montreal Canadiens at 2C, Jaromir Jagr\u2019s Hall of Fame wait and more.<\/p>\n

Thanks again for reading and responding!<\/p>\n

Was the NHLPA OK with the McDavid contract? Do you see any future issues with other players because of it? \u2014 Philip S.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not aware of any angst or negative fallout from a contract that was widely viewed as team-friendly, and there\u2019s a good reason for that: There\u2019s only one Connor McDavid. Everything from his playing style to his statistical achievements are basically beyond comparison, so it only stands that his contract is as well.<\/p>\n

Sure, teams may ask star players in future negotiations to take a little bit less, but that\u2019s nothing new. And anyone looking at the situation from McDavid\u2019s viewpoint, coming off two straight Stanley Cup Final losses but with some long-term concerns about the Edmonton Oilers\u2019 competitive window, can easily understand why he proposed that contract to management.<\/p>\n

While the deal may be a bargain for the world\u2019s best player, it\u2019s certainly not a bad one for McDavid: His $12.5 million average annual value is the largest in NHL history ever handed out on a two-year term, and he preserved career flexibility while signing it. Really, it\u2019s a win-win \u2014 a unique deal for a unique talent.<\/p>\n

If Martin Necas remains among the NHL scoring leaders, what will his next contract potentially look like? Given the new salary cap environment and the recent contracts we have seen, is it possible that it surpasses Mikko Rantanen\u2019s $12 million AAV? \u2014 Eric T.<\/p>\n

Coming off a career-best 83 points and with the chance to exceed that total this season (12 points in nine games through Saturday), Necas is well-positioned for a monster payday. Basically, he\u2019s picked the ideal time to make good on his star-level talent.<\/p>\n

In fact, while I\u2019d be surprised if he ultimately surpassed Rantanen\u2019s $12 million AAV on his next contract, I certainly can\u2019t rule it out as a possibility. That says something in itself. Right now, he projects to fall in the $11 million range, give or take, but he\u2019s also patrolling the right wing beside Nathan MacKinnon and is poised to have another massive season.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to put the Avalanche in an interesting dilemma when navigating how to proceed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Martin Necas is having a standout season at a profitable time. (Matthew Stockman \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Who do you think is facing more pressure at the Olympics: Canada or the U.S.? \u2014 Kurtis H.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say Canada and it\u2019s not particularly close.<\/p>\n

I was fortunate enough to sit in on the welcome meeting at Hockey Canada\u2019s Olympic Orientation Camp in August, and during that three-hour presentation to prospective players from the men\u2019s, women\u2019s and Paralympic teams, the word \u201cpressure\u201d must have been mentioned 100 times. There was even a joke that drew a lot of laughs about not bothering to come home from Italy if they don\u2019t have the gold medal in tow. I suspect that one landed because there\u2019s an element of truth in it. That\u2019s how the Canadian players and staff feel about the responsibility in front of them.<\/p>\n

A major international hockey tournament literally stops the country in the Great White North \u2014 in fact, you could actually pinpoint the timing of intermissions during the men\u2019s gold-medal game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics by looking at water usage patterns across the country.<\/p>\n

By no means am I suggesting the Americans want to win any less than the Canadians. Given the buildup since the 1980 \u201cMiracle on Ice,\u201d you might even argue they want it a little bit more. But the pressure on Team USA largely comes from within, while the pressure on Team Canada comes from everyone they\u2019ve ever known in their hometowns.<\/p>\n

If Matthew Schaefer continues to play extremely well, as he has been, is there any chance for him to make the Olympic team? \u2014 Michael D.<\/p>\n

Schaefer has been a revelation in the early days of his NHL career, but I\u2019d wager that his odds of making this Team Canada fall somewhere between \u201cslim\u201d and \u201cnone.\u201d Remember that he only celebrated his 18th birthday in September, which is a preposterously young age to choose a player over the many more experienced options decision-makers have.<\/p>\n

In fact, Schaefer wasn\u2019t even included among the roughly 90 players Hockey Canada has on a long list of potential selections that was submitted to the International Ice Hockey Federation. While they could still lobby to add him to the final roster at the end of December if he played his way into the conversation, it\u2019s highly unlikely.<\/p>\n

Where would a \u201cCentral Europe\u201d team combining Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and Czechia slot compared to the powerhouses at the Olympics? \u2014 Candidateid_44<\/p>\n

Given that the Czechs, Swiss and Germans have each appeared in a gold-medal game at the IIHF World Hockey Championship over the past three years, I\u2019d say they would have the talent necessary to compete for the top of the podium. Probably viewed a smidge behind Team Canada and Team USA, the co-favorites, but right there with a chance to win it all.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unlike the Team Europe concept the NHL used during the 2016 World Cup, and that group made it to the final before losing to Canada. You could certainly do worse than building a team around Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak and Nico Hischier, among many others.<\/p>\n

Which of the following players would be realistic trade options for the Habs as a 2C: Matty Beniers, Bo Horvat or Pavel Zacha? \u2014 Jeff S.<\/p>\n

Of the three players you mentioned, I think Zacha is the most likely to be dealt this season, but that certainly doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019ll be filling the hole in Montreal\u2019s lineup. The Canadiens and Boston Bruins aren\u2019t generally in the business of doing each other any favors.<\/p>\n

My sense is the Habs will remain open-minded in their approach and make sure they\u2019re involved in every important conversation once the NHL\u2019s trade market finally gets moving. It\u2019s no secret they\u2019re looking to address a need at 2C, but they themselves don\u2019t yet know who the answer will be.<\/p>\n

Who do you think will be the better player in the long run: Matvei Michkov or Ivan Demidov? \u2014 Jeff S.<\/p>\n

I included this one because I\u2019m sensing a theme in your queries, Jeff. It feels like you must love the bleu, blanc et rouge. That\u2019s critical context for how I would go about fielding this question: If I was in Montreal, I\u2019d say Demidov, and if I was in Philadelphia, I\u2019d say Michkov. At this early stage of their careers, it\u2019s simply too close to call.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n There\u2019s a lot of excitement over Ivan Demidov in Montreal. (Minas Panagiotakis \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The agita over superstar pending unrestricted free agents signing extensions: Why? Isn\u2019t it silly that, if a McDavid or Kaprizov doesn\u2019t sign a long-term extension in July \u2014 keeping in mind, they\u2019re still under contract for another full season \u2014 media and fandom interpret that as the player not wanting to commit to the team? Maybe an adjustment to signing rules in the next CBA: If a player has one year left on his current contract, he can sign an extension of no longer than 3 years; but, if he waits until the end of his current contract, then he\u2019s eligible to sign for the max seven years. It would cut down on the false drama. \u2014 Anonymous<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll award you points for creativity with the proposal tabled here, because I think it would effectively address the issue you\u2019ve highlighted. However, I can\u2019t imagine any players (or their agents) willfully handing over the ability to secure long-term security sooner, even if it means they have to put up with extra speculation and agita as a result.<\/p>\n

The larger point is well made, though: We sometimes get carried away with the framing of these situations. Heck, the future of Quinn Hughes with the Vancouver Canucks is already a daily concern in that market, and he\u2019s got two seasons remaining on his contract. League rules don\u2019t even allow him to sign an extension before July 1, 2026.<\/p>\n

What it comes down to, for me, is how much a segment of hockey fans thirsts for player movement. That\u2019s what fuels these conversations more than anything else.<\/p>\n

Are the days of building a team through free agency gone? It seems like most teams lock up young talent early on. Will the big free agent ever exist again? \u2014 Jonathan D.<\/p>\n

In the short term, those days seem to be gone. We\u2019ve seen it play out over the past month with a potential 2026 UFA class of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov and Kyle Connor each signing deals with their existing teams. For all of those players, it was the third NHL contract of their careers, and none of them have ever even sniffed free agency.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t personally believe it will always be this way, though. While the inherent dangers of hockey will always incentivize players to sign long-term contracts and stay where they are for security, we\u2019re also careening toward a world where the salary cap is about to explode. Fewer teams will spend to the ceiling. Players looking to maximize their value may have to go elsewhere. In short: The big free agent isn\u2019t extinct, but he appears to be dormant.<\/p>\n

Can we please look at creating an exception for Jaromir Jagr\u2019s Hall of Fame candidacy? It is so absurd to me that someone who contributed so much to the NHL and to hockey in general is not enshrined because he plays in a minor European league. \u2014 Ryan K.<\/p>\n

This is one of those quirks that I go back and forth on myself. On one hand, it would be nice to honor him alongside peers from his NHL career \u2014 Jagr\u2019s No. 68 already hangs in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh \u2014 but there\u2019s also value in letting someone come back for an induction and reflect with friends and family when it\u2019s all over.<\/p>\n

The fact remains: Jagr is an active hockey player, who continues to live, train and eat in a manner that allows him to still play professionally. Sure, the Czech league isn\u2019t Europe\u2019s largest or deepest league in terms of competition, but every year, players jump directly from that circuit to the NHL. The fact that Jagr continues to play there at age 53 is incredible. He\u2019s not going to be able to do it forever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There was a distinct Olympic flavor to the questions in Saturday\u2019s Part 1 of our early-season mailbag, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[1223,1792,4828,1787,394,385,1082,1789,1790,4831,99,4827],"class_list":["post-254507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-colorado-avalanche","tag-edmonton-oilers","tag-minnesota-wild","tag-montreal-canadiens","tag-new-york-islanders","tag-nhl","tag-olympics","tag-philadelphia-flyers","tag-pittsburgh-penguins","tag-seattle-kraken","tag-sports","tag-winnipeg-jets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}