While it was unlikely, as long as Connor McDavid went without a contract extension, it would give the Los Angeles Kings a glimmer of hope. The ideal scenario would be for him to follow in the footsteps of Wayne Gretzky and make the switch from the Edmonton Oilers to the Kings, likely as a free agent.
As speculation grew about McDavid's potential next stop, the Kings were often mentioned as one of those top contenders. However, if they weren't going to be able to sign McDavid at the very least, he would join a team outside of the Pacific Division. The Kings then would have a better chance to find their way to a division title or at least avoid a playoff meeting with the Oilers.
Unfortunately, neither of those scenarios is going to happen any time soon, as McDavid agreed to a two-year extension with the Oilers on Monday.
Connor McDavid's contract is a nightmare scenario for the Los Angeles Kings in more ways than one
If there is one positive, it is that McDavid did only sign a two-year deal, so he isn't necessarily tied to the Oilers or the Pacific Division for a long time. However, the fact that he only signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $12.5 million gives the Oilers a huge advantage over the rest of the league, including the Kings.
After Kirill Kaprizov signed a contract with an AAV of $17 million, the fact that McDavid's AAV is almost $5 million less gives the Oilers a ton of flexibility to continue to go out and build a Stanley Cup contending roster around their superstar.
The reason there were questions about whether or not McDavid would sign is that he wants to win a Stanley Cup. However, there is no question now that Edmonton is the best place for him to do that with the extra cap space.
If he can win even one over the next three seasons, there is no reason he shouldn't sign a max-term deal and remain a problem for the Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the division.