Quote:
Originally Posted by stemit14
Edmonton media like to assert that Edmonton is the only place Draisaitl and McDavid can stay together and compete… I don’t think that true. If anything, Edmonton is in a tougher spot to stay competitive during the next contracts with McDavid and Draisaitl because of their future cap problems with an already old team. And they don’t have much in the system to supplement the team with young, cost-controlled players. I think other teams with younger players on the upswing will be a better bet for McDavid and Draisaitl to stay competitive. I mentioned LA as a good example in the Byfield signing thread. They have both Byfield and Kempe on very reasonable deals. Kopitar and Doughty will either retire after their current contracts or likely sign team-friendly deals. They’ll have the cap space to sign McDavid and Draisaitl to big deals in 2025 and 2026 if they make it to free agency.
That’s just one example but I’m sure there are other teams that will be able to make a strong offer for them to be on the same team and stay competitive. Meanwhile, the oilers will be depending on players like RNH, Nurse and Hyman to be good players into their mid-30s.
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This whole they always need to play together is just PTSD from when they said the same thing about Mess and Gretzky back in the day. McDavid and Draisaitl are friends but they are not married to eachother or even hang out all the time outside of the rink. This is just Oiler media in denial like their fan base that these guys will leave. NHL history is full of guys that were great friends and loved playing together that moved on to different teams, only the No Good Oiler media would think they have to play together no matter what.