Elliotte Friedman has watched enough NHL contract negotiations to know when something doesn’t fit the usual script. Yet Friedman believes McDavid will resist pushing his number sky-high in part because of how the Oilers’ salary ladder is already built. The captain signed an eight-year, $100 million deal back in 2017 carrying a $12.5 million cap hit. Nurse, meanwhile, is locked into an eight-year, $74 million deal that pays $9.25 million per season until 2030. Stan Bowman is not alarmed by Connor McDavid’s contract situationMcDavid’s choice will likely define the Oilers’ next decade.