A few points worth making:
1) The signing reduces Chia's margin for error. Less cap space to make mistakes and more players to make mistakes with.
2) Cap growth has slowed to ~2-3% annually, so the contract will look better over time, but not that much better. On the last year of the deal, the cap is probably US$85m or so.
3) At the end of the day, the key is going to be scouting and player development, and as a playoff team, the oilers will have to project and develop well. They have shown little ability to do this over the past 20 years.
So, did the oilers do good today? Sure - they locked up their franchise player for the next 9 years. But this is a team that now has little margin for error in terms of RFA and UFA signings, and is going to have to organically develop players internally to have any chance of playoff success. They have shown no ability to do this in the past. And there is no reason to think that they are going to have better luck in the future.
For example, take Chicago - they had Keith, Toews, Kane, Seabrook and Hossa. But do this win they cup without supporting players like Sharp, Versteeg, Saad, Brouwer, Barker, Byfuglien, Campbell, Hjalmarsson, Bolland, Ladd. Quite frankly, they do not.
This is why Edmonton is no good. This is the reason they need top 5 picks to be competitive. And this is why they wont win cups. The organization is a joke. McDavid and Draisaitl and Talbot might make the team look respectable, but its the foundation is still a joke.
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