Normally, in the sports world, these things build on one another. Player A signs a big contract, then Player B comes in behind them and tops them. It’s the natural way of the world (and something that players’ unions love to see). However, every once in a while, a player decides that his best fortunes lie upon a different track, and they take a team friendly deal.
After Kirill Kaprizov raised the bar last week with an 8-year, $17 million-per-season deal that was the richest in the cap era, the speculation was that Connor McDavid, who was also set to be a free agent at the end of the season, would top that, possibly becoming the league’s first $20 million-a-year player.