[FlamesAddiction]

If they would have traded the draft pick or McDavid on his ELC, they could have built an extremely deep team. Some other team would have plied the Oilers with an embarrassment of riches to have McDavid on a low-cost contract. They could have come out on top the way Quebec/Colorado did when they were forced to trade Lindros. The depth and flexibility set that franchise up for several years. I get it though, it is a tough sell and a hard decision to make. Quebec's hand was forced, but the way it worked out, I am surprised that it hasn't become more of a building strategy for franchises that are bare to the bones. Seriously, after your first couple of 1st overall picks and the team is not getting better, you think you would learn.

No matter how good McDavid is now (and that is debatable), his maximum value was at its peak when he was being underpaid. It's extremely difficult in the cap era to build a winning team around one player making the league maximum. Having Draisaitl near that amount too doesn't help.

I think the Oilers had the idea that players would be lining up to play at a discount just to play with McDavid and it would all even out. They failed to understand that players aren't going to do that until you can prove you can win. By failing to do that in McDavid's first few seasons, they ruined the chance for players to come in at a discount. It was a huge miscalculation and a massive display of hubris. I think they looked at Pittsburgh as an example, but didn't consider that Crosby at his peak played at a slight discount so that the team could lure more talent.

And no matter how good he is, that $12.5 million cap hit means even if they did decide to trade him now, they would never get full value. They would have to take on a bad contract just so another team could make room for him.