[Signing] Oilers extend F Leon Draisaitl (8x$14M AAV)

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The oilers chances for the next 5 years are higher with Leon then without .

It absolutely possible (probable even) last year was their best chance but if you have McDavid and Drais you always have a punchers chance in the playoffs

IMO their chances would be higher trading him for a haul and spreading the cap

Like I said Florida pays 14M for their top goal scorer and best dman total.

[lazypucker]

To be honest, Drai was at least 30% underpaid the past 3-4 seasons. So $14-mil per is not bad, he at least can recover some of his "past lost earnings" now.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Go ahead and underestimate Skinner and Arvidsson to your own detriment. Beyond delusion- those players have been really successful elsewhere and aren't really that old. Arvidsson was almost point per game in his return with LA last season from injury. Skinner has been point per game just before last year. I don't want the Oilers to win the Cup but to #### on their additions as bad hockey players is just nonsensical and not true at all. This isn't the E=NG thread. That's easily the deepest top 6 in the west. Possibly top 9.

Depends if Colorado gets Nichushkin back and how healthy Landeskog is.

Canucks objectively got worse. So the Flames fans only real hope is VGK, DAL or COL knocking out the Oilers in the playoffs.

The oilers dumped off their defensively conscious forwards. They also dumped up speed up front.

Their blueline doesn't look good, Skinner still needs to prove himself and find consistency.

And the team is older then Bob Barker, which means the risk of injury is high, which for a team in a cap crunch is bad news.

I would argue that adding older offensive players which is what the Oilers didn't need, might make the Oilers worse. the only thing saving them is that the West is in an awful cycle.

I thought that Drai was going to walk, it sounds like he held a gun to the Oilers head to become the highest paid player in the league? Is he worth that? We''ll see. But he's not going to be playing for a contract for the next 8 years.

[Paulie Walnuts]

What’s funny is the Panthers overhauled their team and changed their style to win. Adding better players who could defend and score and they key part buying into playing that way.

The Oilers for the first time I can remember actually iced a good defensive team, players who could play both ends and completely scrapped a winning style and said let’s go back to what didn’t work.

You have to hand it to management.

[My2Cents]

Lets see how well Drai performs on this contract. There is lots of examples of people cashing in and then checking out. This is likely Drai's last contract and its all guaranteed money. As long as they believe they are cup contenders I imagine he shows up. But once the team is middle of the pack (especially if McDavid leaves) I wouldnt be shocked to see him half check out.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

To be honest, Drai was at least 30% underpaid the past 3-4 seasons. So $14-mil per is not bad, he at least can recover some of his "past lost earnings" now.

Yeah that’s usually how these over 30 deals work. You pay for what they have done, not what they will do.

Once his point totals drop off the fan base will turn on him.

He’s 28 right now scoring all these points may seem easy but the body doesn’t work like that. It’s going to get harder and harder.

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Think we found us a closeted Oilers fans who is giving it away.

It’s like the Trumpers slowly showing up.

Yeah. saying that I think they are going to be competitive for the next 2 years sure makes me an Oilers fan....

The impact of this contract + McDavid's new contract + Bouchard's new contract won't be fully felt until 2026-27 season.

when the cap might be ~$92-$95 million. Half of the contract increases are going to be mitigated by the rising cap.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Yeah. saying that I think they are going to be competitive for the next 2 years sure makes me an Oilers fan....

You are working very hard to defend them

Still havent made an agument as to how they are better next season when this contract starts though.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

But, they don't have a "young Bouchard." He will be 28–31 years old when McHobo and Draisaitl are in their 30–34 years.

And, there is no "etc." All the rest of the Oilers impact players who are under contract for the next few years are well into their 30s, and they have the worst collection of prospects and young players in the entire League by a wide margin.

I don't disagree with you. But the problem you've outlined isn't the Draisaitl contract. It's all the other stuff about the oilers - lack of prospects, picks, younger players come up through the system and aging roster.

The idea of building a core around 30 y/o drai and McDavid and competing for a cup makes sense to me. Edmonton probably can't make it work for more than another season or two due to organizational deficiencies.

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by dino7c

You are working very hard to defend them

Still havent made an agument as to how they are better next season when this contract starts though.

I've said I think they are a better team with Skinner and Arvidsson and then also a full year of Henrique. These are good hockey players. I've followed each of them over their careers.

You can disagree with me all you want but they are a lock for a top seed for the playoffs and from there we pray that one of the VGK, DAL, COL can knock them out. I don't think any other team has a chance (in the west).

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

I've said I think they are a better team with Skinner and Arvidsson and then also a full year of Henrique. These are good hockey players. I've followed each of them over their careers.

You can disagree with me all you want but they are a lock for a top seed for the playoffs and from there we pray that one of the VGK, DAL, COL can knock them out. I don't think any other team has a chance (in the west).

Skinner isnt even signed when this deal starts

[butterfly]

I would defend them if the contract was good. 1x$Max to get two shots at it.

This is a pure overpaying retirement contract. Couldn’t happen to a nicer non-Vancouver team.

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Yeah. saying that I think they are going to be competitive for the next 2 years sure makes me an Oilers fan....

The impact of this contract + McDavid's new contract + Bouchard's new contract won't be fully felt until 2026-27 season.

when the cap might be ~$92-$95 million. Half of the contract increases are going to be mitigated by the rising cap.

In 26/27 if they sign Bouchard and McDavid and don’t move any of the contracts they currently have that last that long, they will be carrying a cap hit of 65M with 15 other contracts to sign to fill out the roster
They better hope the cap is 110M by then

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Skinner isnt even signed when this deal starts

Mate- the rest of the core/majority of the team still is.

Draisaitl signing this extension is bad for Flames fans.

1. There won't be any media circus in Edmonton this year which could potentially have a negative impact on their season.

2. There is no chance that he is leaving now and most likely a new contract for McDavid will follow next year.

3. They have generally the same team signed for the next couple of years/will be able to retain so they have atleast 2 more kicks at the can before the new contracts for McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard kick in.

4. The cap is going up and that will mitigate the increase in these contracts.

5. Players will continue to take less than market value to play in EDM with McDavid and "chase" a Cup.

Here's to another decade (10 years) of hoping that these guys strike out in the playoffs every year. BTW Crosby just dropped 94 pts at age 36. You can continue to recycle the pieces around McDrai through FA and try to limit team age that way.

TLDR: Another 10 years of McDrai is simply not as good as if they had just left over the next couple of years. As long as those two are around, they will always be a pain in the ass.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

I've said I think they are a better team with Skinner and Arvidsson and then also a full year of Henrique. These are good hockey players. I've followed each of them over their careers.

You can disagree with me all you want but they are a lock for a top seed for the playoffs and from there we pray that one of the VGK, DAL, COL can knock them out. I don't think any other team has a chance (in the west).

A lock for a top seed of the playoffs? Never mind Draisaitl’s prime years, do you realize that George H. W. Bush was imploring people to “read my lips, no new taxes” more recently than the Oilers won the division?

[Paulie Walnuts]

They could have made a Florida/Calgary deal and really plugged holes on their team especially the backend.

You don’t need 2 - 100 point players. You need a team.

They could have been a dangerous team. Now they will score a bunch and get scored on a bunch and wonder what happened when Nurse is laying on the ice after attempting to block a shot with his ass.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

What’s funny is the Panthers overhauled their team and changed their style to win. Adding better players who could defend and score and they key part buying into playing that way.

The Oilers for the first time I can remember actually iced a good defensive team, players who could play both ends and completely scrapped a winning style and said let’s go back to what didn’t work.

You have to hand it to management.

Oiler fans believe their new found defensive success, including pk, was not the result of on ice personell but their new mastermind defensive coach behind the bench and any players can be dropped into that genius and be the best defensive team in hockey, probably.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Huberdeau outscored Drai the season he got paid his 10.5...its not like Neal or Lucic at all he was the 2nd leading scorer in the league not some goon or average player
things can drop off fast

The risk of a decline for a franchise player is less than for a non-franchise player, in part because of their ability to drive play and in part because franchise players tend to be underpaid relative to their underlying value. As such, the risk around Drais contract is less than the risk around a 30 y/o non-franchise player.

Huby never drove play and as such wouldn't be categorized as a true franchise player. He's just a massively overpaid complementary player who is post apex.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Mate- the rest of the core/majority of the team still is.

Draisaitl signing this extension is bad for Flames fans.

1. There won't be any media circus in Edmonton this year which could potentially have a negative impact on their season.

2. There is no chance that he is leaving now and most likely a new contract for McDavid will follow next year.

3. They have generally the same team signed for the next couple of years/will be able to retain so they have atleast 2 more kicks at the can before the new contracts for McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard kick in.

4. The cap is going up and that will mitigate the increase in these contracts.

5. Players will continue to take less than market value to play in EDM with McDavid and "chase" a Cup.

Here's to another decade (10 years) of hoping that these guys strike out in the playoffs every year. BTW Crosby just dropped 94 pts at age 36. You can continue to recycle the pieces around McDrai through FA and try to limit team age that way.

TLDR: Another 10 years of McDrai is simply not as good as if they had just left over the next couple of years. As long as those two are around, they will always be a pain in the ass.

Crosby is a winner.

Also comparing them to Pittsburgh is my point exactly. They are going in circles. You can’t build through free agency. Doesn’t matter if it’s Crosby or McDavid. You need some good players coming up the ranks on cheap deals and for them to make an impact.

Jeffery Skinner isn’t the answer.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by dino7c

IMO their chances would be higher trading him for a haul and spreading the cap

Would it? What would the haul be?

Tough to argue they'd be better served when they came within a game of winning the cup a few months back. This contract (and McDavid's next one) are going to kill the Oilers down the line, but that's not new news, that happens with all these contracts. What it does do is extend their current window 4-5 years and if it does that they're laughing.

McDavid, Drai and a goalie capable of stealing a game or two isn't a typical NHL recipe for success but it;s working for hte Oilers as of right now, and I'm not sure they have another option