Nobody should expect him to say "Oh I want to leave" or "Oh I am going to stay." Obviously.
However you usually see "I would love to stay here, this is where I want to be. This is a great team with a great city and great fanbase. I love it here" - Pujols, Pietrangelo, Backes.... etc.
The fact that he is not acting like that, well it has already been said here but I agree - he is putting EDM on notice.
What would be hilarious is if he signs with FLA and they go the finals next season, play EDM and EDM wins.
Backes was the only one you mentioned who had sincere comments like that, imo.
You may be right about the sincerity but it's just what you say when you are that high profile guy who is about to become an FA. Ohtani, Harper... etc. etc. list goes on and on and on about all sports stars.
So just the fact that its not like that here basically tells me he is gone from EDM. I will be very surprised if he stays.
I agree with paragraph one and with him remaining short of a commitment you may well be right in paragraph 2 as well.
I'm guessing he is truly torn........it's not like you can just pick a team that's going to wiin a Cup....you can increase your chances but it's far from a certainty.
And then as some have insinuated, he being on the team will consume valuable dollars for that one position...albeit one hell of a player.
I see him resigning for 2 or 3 years. He's got quite the bromance w Draisaitl and already took a "discount" on his last contract. I know the PA will probably pressure him to get max value, however, Crosby has taken discounts on his deals as so I'd guess the PA will only get so much say.
It's a pipe dream to think the Blues would get him - but what a pipe dream that would be. In theory, if he were to be made available for trade, the Blues would be one of the few teams with enough assets and cap space to pull it off. If he goes to the market July 1, it'll be quite the storyline.
Nobody should expect him to say "Oh I want to leave" or "Oh I am going to stay." Obviously.
However you usually see "I would love to stay here, this is where I want to be. This is a great team with a great city and great fanbase. I love it here" - Pujols, Pietrangelo, Backes.... etc.
The fact that he is not acting like that, well it has already been said here but I agree - he is putting EDM on notice.
What would be hilarious is if he signs with FLA and they go the finals next season, play EDM and EDM wins.
It could happen. In 2008 Marion Hossa was on the Penguins, they got him at the deadline to pursue the Cup...lost in Finals to the Red Wings. Pens made him a very nice 5-year offer, but he passed on that and signed with the Red Wings in effort to win a cup, they then lost to the Penguins in 2009. His frustrating efforts eventually did get his name on it 3-times with Chicago. But he had to really have been talking to himself a lot in 2009!
Boomac wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025 16:55 pm
I see him resigning for 2 or 3 years. He's got quite the bromance w Draisaitl and already took a "discount" on his last contract. I know the PA will probably pressure him to get max value, however, Crosby has taken discounts on his deals as so I'd guess the PA will only get so much say.
It's a pipe dream to think the Blues would get him - but what a pipe dream that would be. In theory, if he were to be made available for trade, the Blues would be one of the few teams with enough assets and cap space to pull it off. If he goes to the market July 1, it'll be quite the storyline.
Oh I agree on the story line. Not so sure on the fairy tale ending.
I'd like to see a cap knowledgeable poster on here project just what that would look like with McD on the Blues payroll consuming 20 M?
Term and AAV please....and then imposed on what the Blues have going right now and for what is the certainly near/mid future.
Careful for what you wish for. For all his greatness....he is Cupless.
Boomac wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025 16:55 pm
I see him resigning for 2 or 3 years. He's got quite the bromance w Draisaitl and already took a "discount" on his last contract. I know the PA will probably pressure him to get max value, however, Crosby has taken discounts on his deals as so I'd guess the PA will only get so much say.
It's a pipe dream to think the Blues would get him - but what a pipe dream that would be. In theory, if he were to be made available for trade, the Blues would be one of the few teams with enough assets and cap space to pull it off. If he goes to the market July 1, it'll be quite the storyline.
Oh I agree on the story line. Not so sure on the fairy tale ending.
I'd like to see a cap knowledgeable poster on here project just what that would look like with McD on the Blues payroll consuming 20 M?
Term and AAV please....and then imposed on what the Blues have going right now and for what is the certainly near/mid future.
Careful for what you wish for. For all his greatness....he is Cupless.
And when that contract goes into effect also OVER 30.
He’s not going to win a cup getting max value on his next contract with any team. So I’d imagine he will look to sign a shorter 2-5 year deal wherever he wants to go/stay. He would have to stay somewhere in the 15M max range as well.
If he really wants to win then I’d go where he feels gives him the best chance on a 2-3 year deal. He will still get a huge pay raise and then can have the freedom to choose again in a few years.
Boomac wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025 16:55 pm
I see him resigning for 2 or 3 years. He's got quite the bromance w Draisaitl and already took a "discount" on his last contract. I know the PA will probably pressure him to get max value, however, Crosby has taken discounts on his deals as so I'd guess the PA will only get so much say.
It's a pipe dream to think the Blues would get him - but what a pipe dream that would be. In theory, if he were to be made available for trade, the Blues would be one of the few teams with enough assets and cap space to pull it off. If he goes to the market July 1, it'll be quite the storyline.
Oh I agree on the story line. Not so sure on the fairy tale ending.
I'd like to see a cap knowledgeable poster on here project just what that would look like with McD on the Blues payroll consuming 20 M?
Term and AAV please....and then imposed on what the Blues have going right now and for what is the certainly near/mid future.
Careful for what you wish for. For all his greatness....he is Cupless.
Up front, I am hardly an expert on cap and projections thereof, but difficult to see McDavid on Blues' radar. Team is getting younger, and at 28 (I think), McDavid would not be part of the plan, especially considering the pieces he would command at trade deadline, should that happen.
stlblue06 wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025 22:52 pm
...not ... win a cup getting max value ... . sign a shorter 2-5 year deal.... ...15M max ...
I'm at 3 years 18MM AAV.
Oilers were closer last year than this year, but they were also w/o Hyman.
His best chance for a Cup would be best on a team with a strong entourage of supporting characters, but lacking the superstar. (Sound familiar? Perhaps this is why some of us Blues fans are getting wishful.) And, on a team with real goaltending.
My dark horse? Carolina. They have a beast of a coach, a great crew on the ice and we've see them swing for the fences once before. Staal? Geriatric at this point, but still proven to be serviceable. Andersen is aging, but what an upgrade over Skinner he is. Plus, they're currently 10MM+ under the cap.
stlblue06 wrote: ↑29 Aug 2025 22:52 pm
...not ... win a cup getting max value ... . sign a shorter 2-5 year deal.... ...15M max ...
I'm at 3 years 18MM AAV.
Oilers were closer last year than this year, but they were also w/o Hyman.
His best chance for a Cup would be best on a team with a strong entourage of supporting characters, but lacking the superstar. (Sound familiar? Perhaps this is why some of us Blues fans are getting wishful.) And, on a team with real goaltending.
My dark horse? Carolina. They have a beast of a coach, a great crew on the ice and we've see them swing for the fences once before. Staal? Geriatric at this point, but still proven to be serviceable. Andersen is aging, but what an upgrade over Skinner he is. Plus, they're currently 10MM+ under the cap.
I get that ....I do think the Blues would be a good candidate on a number of fronts but it would realistically be looked at more on the come by him and he likely would have other teams he see's more ready now. He'll likely jump on a team that's hot now.
Although JB would have to be part of his consideration too.
If he isn't willing to cut price, to put it bluntly, I don't want him myself, as a Blues fan.
Of course, none of this discourse matters as to what he will do.
…..or wait a year and dump players like Schenn, Buch, and Faulk and sign him for nothing. First $20M/yr over 7 years gets him.
I don't see Edmonton risk losing McDavid for nothing, so there will be a huge bidding war (if contract negotiations fail).
I do like the idea of trading Buch and the Blues keeping the 1st round pick instead.
Only problem is that McDavid is in the driver's seat with his NMC.
Yeah, those annoying things always seem to throw a wrench in the plans.
And if they would accept Kyrou, Faulk & Buch (for around 22 million) in a deal, why not just keep their superstar. Sorry, I didn't think the trade through enough. Just trying to clear some dead weight and trade from the Blues winger depth, because they have a ton of wingers coming soon.
While I’m sure the NHLPA would like him to get as big of a contract as possible, he knows full well how much the rest of the team matters. He’ll probably end up getting a bit more per year than Draisaitl. He’s not going to go after a 20M max contract. I don’t think any player has gone over 16% of the cap (at least anybody still playing). Crosby’s biggest deal was 15.3%. Mackinnon’s was 15.1%. McDavid’s previous deal was 15.7%. He’ll end up with something similar.
