Kirill Kaprizov declines record setting contract, will effect McDavid deal with Oilers

While Connor McDavid remains unsigned and speaking vaguely about his future with the team, his next salary is also completely unknown with the rising salary cap. Based off Kaprizov's latest move, McDavid's value just got a huge boost.

According to new reports from NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Kaprizov has officially declined a contract extension for 8 years at $16M a season.

The NHL's salary cap is expected to leap up to near $113M in 3 years time, which will significantly raise the value of all contracts - and especially for superstars.

Kirill Kaprizov has cemented himself as one of the NHL's superstars after breaking into the league just 5 years ago. He posted 56 points in 41 games last season, a rate that would've been 112 points overs a full year. However, he's no where close to Connor McDavid.

As the best player in the NHL, McDavid needs to set the bar for the top salary for the NHLPA, and other superstar players. If Kaprizov is making more than $16M, McDavid will need to make more than him.

It's very possible that Kaprizov's deal, and also Jack Eichel's contract with Vegas, is waiting on the negotiations with Connor McDavid to set the bar.

Kaprizov declining a $16M annual salary hints that every deal could be trending to be more expensive than expected. This may be a contract negotiation that Oilers fans continue to pay attention to, at least until McDavid finally signs.