[Signing] Oilers sign Draisaitl (8 yrs, $8.5 mil AAV)

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Corral

With McDavid entering his prime years (mid 20s) after the next two seasons - its hard to understand how their window will close then. Its OK to pretend he isn't going to be able to lift a team close to a championship, but in all likelihood that is what he is going to do. Its back to the the 1980s for the BOA. Can the Flames assemble an all-around better line up to beat the Oilers who have the best player in the NHL. Game on.

We've done it before and we'll do it again.

Oh...and your avatar should be Carl from the Walking Dead.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I'd be looking forward to the Oiler apogist spinning this one ...

6 weeks ago: 8x7 a fair deal

Haha, the backtracking and moving of the goal posts by the Edmonton media should be good.

I'd even wager that we see praise for Chiarelli just for managing to get 8 years. The bar is always just low enough for the local hockey heroes up north.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Just me or are contracts completely insane the past 1-2 years?

Lockout looming for sure.

A lockout was coming regardless, but this is a meaningless complaint. The players will receive what they receive per the CBA, and no subjective complaint about the insanity of an individual contract will move that figure by even a single penny.

[Calgary4LIfe]

This contract is definitely a risk. One season playing alongside McDavid and 1 good playoff series doesn't mean that this is the type of production Draisaitl is capable of.

It may end up being a bargain, may end up haunting them. One thing seems certain to me, however, and that is the fact that this isn't a bargain contract. It is either a fair contract, or a huge overpay. Only time will tell.

[GGG]

To be worth this much money he needs to be able to play away from McJesus and drive a line. Kane and Toews don't play together aside from the PP. McJesus is worth 12 if you can pay Kunitz 3 million to be on his wing an produce at a 6 million dollar pace. If Draisitl needs McJesus he's a 6 million dollar player if McJesus needs Drisaitl he's an 8 million dollar player.

If Draisaitle can anchor a second line and put up points with 2nd line wingers than this is a good deal. Otherwise at least a million dollar overpayment.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GGG

To be worth this much money he needs to be able to play away from McJesus and drive a line. Kane and Toews don't play together aside from the PP. McJesus is worth 12 if you can pay Kunitz 3 million to be on his wing an produce at a 6 million dollar pace. If Draisitl needs McJesus he's a 6 million dollar player if McJesus needs Drisaitl he's an 8 million dollar player.

If Draisaitle can anchor a second line and put up points with 2nd line wingers than this is a good deal. Otherwise at least a million dollar overpayment.

Exactly. What can Draisaitl do without McDavid? The answer to that question determines his value.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Corral

With McDavid entering his prime years (mid 20s) after the next two seasons - its hard to understand how their window will close then. Its OK to pretend he isn't going to be able to lift a team close to a championship, but in all likelihood that is what he is going to do.

It is not at all that difficult to understand. Even with all those years of McEggplant playing in his prime, the Oilers will be hamstrung by too many expensive contracts to aging or below average players like Kris Russell, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic to compensate for the cost of having a superstar on the roster. It is still a team game, and beyond a great top line and an excellent goalie the Oilers are not a team that inspires much confidence.

Its back to the the 1980s for the BOA. Can the Flames assemble an all-around better line up to beat the Oilers who have the best player in the NHL. Game on.

I think they already have. The Flames do not have a player to match the calibre of McDavid, but what they do boast is a better matchup at practically every other position. The BoA should be good this year if for no other reason than that it will put the Oilers and their insufferably entitled fans back in their place.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Same combined cap hit as Kane and Toews. So, if you think that Draisatl is a top line player then it's not bad for the Oil, infact, it seems fine.

Then again Blackhawks dynasty-like success grinded to a halt the same season those contracts kicked in.

[GoJetsGo]

If my math is right:

McDavid / Draisaitl / = 21 Million Cap hit

Gio / Hamilton / Brodie / Hamonic = 21 Million Cap hit

[Firebot]

Remember the days when Jordan Eberle had 76 points in his rookie year and was the next best thing since sliced bread? Good times. 6 million x 6 at the time seemed like a decent deal.

Now apparently 78 points in a player's 3rd year is worth 8.5 million x 8. Not discrediting Draisatl as I find him to be much more promising then Eberle, just funny to point out.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Corral

With McDavid entering his prime years (mid 20s) after the next two seasons - its hard to understand how their window will close then. Its OK to pretend he isn't going to be able to lift a team close to a championship, but in all likelihood that is what he is going to do. Its back to the the 1980s for the BOA. Can the Flames assemble an all-around better line up to beat the Oilers who have the best player in the NHL. Game on.

I really don't think in this day and age that one superstar or even two will ever lift you to a cup or even a highly competitive state.

In the old days a Gretzky as a generational player was heads and shoulders above every one else in terms of skill sets. I believe that the difference between a generational player and very good players nowdays is a lot slimmer.

I firmly believe that depth is king. The Pens won cups with Malkin and Crosby but had a great supporting cast. The same with the Hawks. Do the Oilers have that supporting cast right now? I don't believe that, and its going to get a lot more precarious.

As Gaudy as the Oilers are in terms of top end talent in McDavid, Draisaitl and Talbot, the Flames have and are going to have depth in spades over them, plus the ability to add on because of their contract structures.

As of today, the Oilers are pretty much out of the free agent business for the next bunch of years.

The Oilers are a team that is going to struggle to improve because they're still at its heart not a very well constructed team that had everything just work out for them last season.

Drisaitl had a great second round against the Ducks but had a over 20% shooting percentage, that's the ultimate in unsustainable, he's been a hot and cold player throughout his whole career.

The other thing that I would worry about with Draisatl is the relaxation factor. He was pretty inconsistent with some really bad stretches leading up to last year, and then he exploded in his contract year. That's a bullet that needs to be sweated.

The smart move by Chia would have been a shorter term at decent money prove yourself contract, that would allow you to buy UFA years later.

[CsInMyBlood]

It would be perfect if Draisaitl never comes close to his output last year again in his career.

8.5 for the next 8 years is quite the risk. Love it.

Will be fun to see how long it takes them to buy out Lucic or figure out some slimy way to get out of that contract that we all knew was horrible when signed.

Oilers gonna Oil.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Firebot

Remember the days when Jordan Eberle had 76 points in his rookie year and was the next best thing since sliced bread? Good times. 6 million x 6 at the time seemed like a decent deal.

Now apparently 78 points in a player's 3rd year is worth 8.5 million x 8. Not discrediting Draisatl as I find him to be much more promising then Eberle, just funny to point out.

I hope it goes the same way.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Itse

Then again Blackhawks dynasty-like success grinded to a halt the same season those contracts kicked in.

And they were paid as such because they'd won several cups.

[dino7c]

that's a "good deal" for a guy with one good season playing with the NHL scoring leader?

Its what they had to pay but could easily blow up in their faces

[devo22]

In isolation, I don't even think $21m for McDavid/Draisaitl is that bad. It's not amazing value by any means, but it's not horrible either.

It's contracts like Nugent-Hopkins, Lucic, Sekera and Russell that will kill them in the long run. Have fun in cap hell.

[TheIronMaiden]

That city is going to be a pressure cooker of expectations. If the Oiler don't have early success the city might start to eat that team alive. It's hard to hide with an 8.5 mill contract.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

CapFriendly @CapFriendly
Food for thought

#Oilers cap hit:
17-18: $66.7M (24 players)
18-19: $60.7M (13 players)

*Roster limit is 23 plyrs

And to add, significant players needing new contracts for 2018/19 are Maroon, Strome, and Nurse.

The following year they'll need to re-sign Talbot and Puljujarvi. The only significant contract that they'll have coming off the books over these 2 years is Mark Fayne's $3.6M.

This has to be RNH's final season in Edmonton.

[bubbsy]

i'm curuios, who was the comparable that the agent would have used to get anything over $7.5M, let alone $8.5M?

[Hockey_Ninja]

Have some Oiler fans on my facebook talking about how Leon is worth this money more than Johnny is worth his because he's more "proven" and that Johnny is "A midget with a dumb nickname"