The recently agreed NHL-collective negotiating agreement (MKBA) apparently created a lifting tree point for the Edmonton Oilers when it came to a few of their important contract negotiations. But according to James Mirtle van AthleticsThe new SMEs will not be technically not in force until September 2026.
Mirtle writes:
“I checked in with some teams and one thing that they said to keep in mind is that exercising a negotiated change, the newly matched to CBA does not actually get into force until September 2026, which means that there is still enough time for teams to sign players to eight-year-old deals.”
This was formulated in a way that makes it sound like good news for most NHL clubs. That is accurate. However, that also means that players do not have to hurry up contracts immediately in eight years.
Although it may not mean much for some players, these few months can mean the difference of a few million dollars.
How does the date of the new CBA changes of Oilers Contracts Discussions?
For the Oilers, when the new SMEs starts on July 1 (it became rumor), this does not allow players such as Jake Walman, Stuart Skinner and Vasily Podkolzin to test the market for free desks after the 2025-26 season without taking a big risk. Each is approaching a milestone of a contract in which an eight -year -old deal would have been attractive, especially if the alternative is a maximum extension of six years with a new team.
According to the old timeline, if the Oilers offered for eight years and some contract, each possible, each possible, left two seasons on the table. None of the three players once had large, long -term contracts in the NHL. Waving an eight -year -old deal for them was perhaps difficult to resist. And if none of these three Stellaire 2025-26 had seasons, the money they could be offered, even if the salary cap rises, might be much less than the oilers guarantee if each was locked up earlier than later.
If the new SME changes come into force in September, those players can wait, see how the 2025–26 season unfolds and even test the Free-Agent Markt on July 1, 2026, without being eligible for a long-term contract.
For someone like Walman, if he explodes offensively and becomes a reliable two -way defender and point producer, he could get six years at $ 7 or $ 8 million, versus the eight years at $ 6, the oilers might have had bun money. He is not losing much or anything by waiting.
The oils lose leverage if players are determined to test the market
Maybe this is not all important. It is possible that all three players want to stay and have no desire to test a free desk, even if they have big seasons. That would be the good news for the oilers.
The potentially problematic news comes when these players produce and end in high demand when the market will open and every team can make a pitch. A stronger market for free agent means that the oilers may have higher AAVs to offer. If they choose not to do that, there may be a exodus of players who leave the way they did this season.
For Edmonton, the effort is considerable. Signing a player for an eight -year -old deal can mean that they are being given under the market value, but to keep the risks of the player who uses the performance to recommend more later.
Next: the turn behind the expected team -friendly extension of McDavid
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