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

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

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.

Argh, addition by subtraction. Ryan 'Nothing-happens' sucks.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GGG

...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.

The tragic thing for Oilers fans is that even if Draisaitl can prove capable of anchoring the second line—which is a reasonable expectation—he almost certainly cannot be a +70-point producing centre in such a situation. On a good second line one should be pleased with a 45–55-point performance from the #2 centre, but if Draisaitl manages that reasonable expectation he will always be monumentally overpaid.

If the Oilers decide to continue deploying him on McDavid's wing, then they must also find a solution for centring the second line which at this stage appears to be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This is an adequate option, but one that still leaves the whole makeup of the team top-heavy and relatively easy to defend for 2/3 of a game.

The Oilers appear to be flummoxed either way.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

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

Is it possible that his agent was sitting on offer-sheets in that price range?

[PugnaciousIntern]

Yikes, Sam is probably annoyed that this payday went to the guy drafted one in front of him. Hopefully a motivator

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Is it possible that his agent was sitting on offer-sheets in that price range?

Maybe... but it would have required Draisatl really willing to leave (ie. signing said offer sheet).

[Mister Yamoto]

Mcdavids deal is a bargain. Draisatls seems too high. Hardly anything that will handcuff them though.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

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

Eberle, hall, RNH, Lucic, etc..

If they're all worth $6M per season, I guess it makes sense?

[Fire]

Oiler fans must be praying that Draisaitl's numbers without McDavid will improve or they will be looking to dump this contract in a few years like they did with Hall, Eberle and soon to be RNH.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

Mcdavids deal is a bargain. Draisatls seems too high. Hardly anything that will handcuff them though.

Neither of these contracts is a bargain.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

Mcdavids deal is a bargain. Draisatls seems too high. Hardly anything that will handcuff them though.

No it's the slew of other ridiculous contracts added to those two that will... as has been mentioned repeatedly in this thread already.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by 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"

Johnny's had more points in a season and has been putting up points consistently for longer than Leon has. Definitely the more proven player at this point. Leon had some dry spells prior to his big season, whereas JG has been a consistent *catalyst* for his line and the team since a couple weeks after he broke in to the league.

That's the thing. Johnny hasn't had a McDavid to feed off of, or to help shelter him.

Yet here Draisaitl is making almost 2 million more. Bravo, Oilers.

[Bingo]

it's another example of this different philosophy in Edmonton that has now run through two management structures.

Lock them down!

6x6 contracts for their first three big pieces, Draisaitl now, heck even the Russell contract looked a bit like a "get them done so they don't leave" angle. Can't blame them for McDavid as an example, however.

In Calgary Treliving left years on the table with many players to get their average AAV down and permit him to add more pieces.

The Edmonton model gets you term certainty, the Calgary model (I believe) allows you to be more competitive, making it more likely they want to stay any way.

[Bourque's Twin]

Even though McDavid and Draisaitl have the same cap hit as Kane and Toews, K&T haven't won a cup while earning that amount. Both had $6.3 million cap hits when they won in 2015. The cap has only gone up 8.7% since.

Now, the Blackhawks are having trouble being contenders. They've lost in the first round the last two years, including getting swept this year.

When the Blackhawks won in 2015 they had their top 3 D Keith, Seabrook, and Hjalmarsson for $15.451M
The Oilers have their top 3 D Larsson, Klefbom, and Sekera $13.834.
That's only $1.617 less and the quality between the 2 is night and day.

If all goes perfectly for the Oilers, they could go on a magical run. However, their D and a few forwards are overpaid for what they produce. I can't see them being contenders year after year with the makeup of their team.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Argh, addition by subtraction. Ryan 'Nothing-happens' sucks.

I view it the other way. He will be another Dubnyk/Schultz type who will move on to a new environment and excel.
He's a good player with high character who was miss-managed.
Not a #1 centre but can be a valuable 2nd line two-way pivot.

[Strange Brew]

It's a bet that the player is as good as he looked this year. If he is, or improves, then it's a reasonable deal.

But it's a bet nonetheless, which I guess most 8 year contracts are.

[Hockey_Ninja]

NSFW language

Spoiler!

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

Mcdavids deal is a bargain. Draisatls seems too high. Hardly anything that will handcuff them though.

McDavid needs to be over 100 points and Drai needs to be 80+ to even consider them decent contracts let alone bargains

that is pressure

[marchmallow]

Originally Posted by Angry Edmonton Man

lamb-basted

Lol

[dino7c]

$1000 says JG has more points per $

[browna]

Also, on the subject of pressure, RNH is now automatically to blame for every loss, mis-step, or regression that the Oilers have over last year, from October onwards. As per usual, floated out by the media up there, then the fans take it and fan the embers.

Pronger would be wise to reach out and make sure the Nuge doesn't have any furniture that overzealous fans can smash.