NHL insider Anthony Di Marco of 'Daily Faceoff' made two bold Connor McDavid guarantees: he will be the highest-paid player and sign before the start of the season. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid might be signing his next deal <a href='https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/nhl-mailbag-when-will-connor-mcdavid-sign-carter-hart-kirby-dach-trevor-zegras' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>ahead of many expected</a>. In the recent edition of his Daily Faceoff Mailbag, insider Anthony Di Marco answered one fan question comparing Connor McDavid's timeline for an extension to that of Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, playing up whether the two were playing a game of Extension Chicken. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Skaswatch/status/1955002953888325975'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Di Marco put that out of mind, making two bold guarantees: McDavid will ultimately get the highest-paid deal in the NHL, and he will sign it before the regular season begins. Connor McDavid is going to be the highest-paid player in the NHL - full stop, Di Marco wrote. He doesn't have to wait to see what any other player signs for to punch his ticket to the highest of ranks in the NHL. My best guess is that McDavid is taking his time chipping away at his new contract with the Edmonton Oilers as he mourns another Stanley Cup Final loss over the summer; if I'm a betting man, McDavid signs with the Oilers before the start of the regular season. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/DailyFaceoff/status/1956068430060077525'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Speculation about what will happen with the next contract of Richmond Hill, Ont. native McDavid has been rampant. Some believe he would command the highest salary available of $19.1 million, while others anticipate a shorter deal. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/frank-seravalli-provides-fresh-insight-on-connor-mcdavid-potential-oilers-extension' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Insider Frank Seravalli did note, however, that contract numbers have not even been brought up yet</a> between the Oilers and McDavid's camp. That inactivity has put some fans on edge, especially since July 1 made him eligible. Patience is once more the virtue for everyone involved. With close friend and longtime teammate Leon Draisaitl beginning his new eight-year, $112 million contract this year, there are sound reasons for McDavid to stay with Edmonton, the team that drafted him first overall in 2015. During the last ten years, <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/player/connor-mcdavid-8478402' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>McDavid</a> has led the Oilers back from the brink. He's recorded 361 goals and 721 assists for 1,082 points in 712 regular-season games, as well as 106 points in 96 playoff contests. He's taken Edmonton to consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024, and collected a trophy case featuring five Art Ross titles, four Ted Lindsay Awards, three Hart Trophies, and a Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy. McDavid's follow-up contract will be one of the largest in NHL history, whenever it gets inked.