2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Cortez

Agreed, and don’t get me wrong, I want it to happen- but teams have decimated their roster to sign star players and keep them. Look at what Chicago did with Kane and Towes. I understand that was an actual winning franchise so the players had much more reason to stick around- I’m just skeptical that both will leave Edmonton..as much as I want to see it

I think Draisaitl probably stays if they overpay him but McDavid is out of there. He will want to be in a bigger market where he can cash in on endorsements and have a better chance at winning. You don't think Wayne has whispered to him how much he loved LA and New York? Why would he stay in Edmonton when he can do so much more career wise in a big US market? Not to mention how much the league would love it as well.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Cortez

Agreed, and don’t get me wrong, I want it to happen- but teams have decimated their roster to sign star players and keep them. Look at what Chicago did with Kane and Towes. I understand that was an actual winning franchise so the players had much more reason to stick around- I’m just skeptical that both will leave Edmonton..as much as I want to see it

I never said both are gone I said at least one is

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Cortez

I know this is the common sentiment around here- but if you look historically, how many star players in their prime have left the team they are currently with? It’s fairly rare. The most recent of course is Johnny and Tkachuck. Now, if those 2 leaving Calgary are the inspiration for Conner and Leon to leave Edmonton then I’m all for it

Yeah, kind of funny that we've been building up this Edmonton version of disaster with star players leaving for years (Draisaitl/McDavid), while it actually happened to us in the worst way possible.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think Draisaitl probably stays if they overpay him but McDavid is out of there. He will want to be in a bigger market where he can cash in on endorsements and have a better chance at winning. You don't think Wayne has whispered to him how much he loved LA and New York? Why would he stay in Edmonton when he can do so much more career wise in a big US market? Not to mention how much the league would love it as well.

Wayne Gretzky has been connected with and endorsing Edmonton for years, dude. Maybe you missed it?

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think Draisaitl probably stays if they overpay him but McDavid is out of there. He will want to be in a bigger market where he can cash in on endorsements and have a better chance at winning. You don't think Wayne has whispered to him how much he loved LA and New York? Why would he stay in Edmonton when he can do so much more career wise in a big US market? Not to mention how much the league would love it as well.

What is this based off? It’s just pure speculation at this point. All I’m going off is history of what has mostly happened in the league. Star players more often than not stay with the team they are currently on.

In this situation I really hope to see otherwise though

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Cortez

What is this based off? It’s just pure speculation at this point. All I’m going off is history of what has mostly happened in the league. Star players more often than not stay with the team they are currently on.

In this situation I really hope to see otherwise though

It's CP man. Our team falls apart and we look north and laugh at what already happened to us but COULD also happen to them!!! LOL Edmonton.

[dino7c]

So Edmonton gives Drai 15M and McDavid 16M?

I mean it's pretty likely one of them isn't an Oiler in the next couple years its not Flames fans wishful thinking its the reality of the situation. Honestly I feel they would be a better team if they traded Drai for more balance. Seems obvious they can't win as is.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Cortez

What is this based off? It’s just pure speculation at this point. All I’m going off is history of what has mostly happened in the league. Star players more often than not stay with the team they are currently on.

In this situation I really hope to see otherwise though

You haven't noticed a trend in the last few years of pending UFAs looking to get out of Canada and play in the US?

I mean sure, we can all pretend it's a CP thing and LOL at it, but if you can't see a trend in this regard, I don't know what to tell you.

And in this case - Draisaitl and/or McDavid - you have the added issue of not winning. And in Draisaitl's case, there is quite possibly the added incentive of 'wanting to be the guy' as opposed to the second fiddle.

Or, maybe CP is just 'LOL, Edmonton!'.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think Draisaitl probably stays if they overpay him but McDavid is out of there. He will want to be in a bigger market where he can cash in on endorsements and have a better chance at winning. You don't think Wayne has whispered to him how much he loved LA and New York? Why would he stay in Edmonton when he can do so much more career wise in a big US market? Not to mention how much the league would love it as well.

He's going to be an LA King in two years. It's been in the works for some time now. It's not a coincidence Kopitar signed a two year extension with them as the contract expires when Draisaitl hits free agency.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

You haven't noticed a trend in the last few years of pending UFAs looking to get out of Canada and play in the US?

I mean sure, we can all pretend it's a CP thing and LOL at it, but if you can't see a trend in this regard, I don't know what to tell you.

And in this case - Draisaitl and/or McDavid - you have the added issue of not winning. And in Draisaitl's case, there is quite possibly the added incentive of 'wanting to be the guy' as opposed to the second fiddle.

Or, maybe CP is just 'LOL, Edmonton!'.

It's happening in Winnipeg also as PLD is in LA and Hellebuyck will soon follow him to a US destination. Anyone that thinks this isn't a trend is not paying attention. When Draisaitl leaves it will free up money to offer McDavid a massive contract but if they haven't won anything by then I just can't see him wanting to finish his career there. It's not a market he ever really wanted to play in and there will be a few US teams that will be able to offer him big money and probably better tax situations so he's going to be able to pick his spots.

[devo22]

it just means Canadian teams will have to shift even more towards building through the draft ... it's healthier than adding big contracts via free agency anyways. They'll also simply have to be more ruthless when it comes to ripping the band-aid off when a star player is approaching free agency. Losing high-end talent like Gaudreau for nothing is killer for a small-market team.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He's going to be an LA King in two years. It's been in the works for some time now. It's not a coincidence Kopitar signed a two year extension with them as the contract expires when Draisaitl hits free agency.

Draisaitl is 8.5m x 2 years, Kopitar is 10m x 1 + 7m x 2. They don't expire the same year. Your theory works for McDavid though.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Teams that are likely going to go after Draisaitl in 2026:

Toronto (Tavares and Marner are off the books, Tavares likely signs a cheap deal)
Dallas - Benn is off the books, would imagine Seguin is bought out down the road
Colorado - If they cannot work something out with Rantanen
Washington - Backstrom's contract expires the same year. My guess is Washington throws a ton of money at Draisaitl to play with Ovi for a couple of years.

And that's not even accounting for teams that are likely trying to get out of a rebuild and wanting to contend. Have to think Chicago would overpay for Draisaitl's services for 7 years so he could feed it to Bedard all day long. San Jose likely has more space and wants Draisaitl playing with Smith, Anaheim with Zegras/Carlsson/McTavish, etc. Philly likely has Michkov in the USA by then, they likely need a center.

TLDR: Greener pastures than Edmonton. And when Draisaitl leaves, McDavid imo will have a very hard time staying in Edmonton unless he is offered a ridiculous amount of money from Edmonton, which hinders everything.

[Enoch Root]

Let's put it this way... if you're Draisaitl (who no doubt believes he is the 2nd best player on the planet, and probably thinks he is the best player), and other cities can offer:

lower taxes
better weather
less insane fans (than Canadian teams)
more endorsement opportunities
a better chance of winning,
less likely to be called pissy by the media, and
the chance to be 'the guy',

would you re-sign in Edmonton?

The only upside to staying, is keeping the twosome together. But in 10 years, the organization hasn't been able to build a team around the two of you, so you have to ask yourself, if they can't do it when you cost $21M, will they be able to do it when you cost $30M+?

[Mr.Coffee]

To me it depends if they win or not prior to contract ending. If they win, then Edmonton has a chance at signing them. If they don’t, there is almost a 100% chance they are gone.

[Toonage]

Drai is likely headed to L.A. is he not? Same agent as Kopitar? Kopitar comes off the books right as Draisaitl is a free agent? Feels like it adds up. He and Dubois can wreck that team together.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Drai is likely headed to L.A. is he not? Same agent as Kopitar? Kopitar comes off the books right as Draisaitl is a free agent? Feels like it adds up. He and Dubois can wreck that team together.

Kopitar comes off the year after.

They’ll be able to fit him in if they want, though.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

To me it depends if they win or not prior to contract ending. If they win, then Edmonton has a chance at signing them. If they don’t, there is almost a 100% chance they are gone.

Yes, them winning the cup this year (or probably even making the finals), would be a big positive on the re-sign side of the ledger

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Draisaitl is 8.5m x 2 years, Kopitar is 10m x 1 + 7m x 2. They don't expire the same year. Your theory works for McDavid though.

It's not my theory. It's the Oilers theory as if Stauffer says the Oilers believe the Kings will be all over him it then it's legit as he gets his information directly from the Oilers.

From the Oilers point of view they know full well it will be impossible to keep both and McDavid has to be their top priority so I don't see them going crazy with offers to keep Draisaitl knowing that the more they give him, the less they can offer McDavid. I think there's a chance McDavid stays in Edmonton. It may be a small chance but at the end of the day money talks and McDavid doesn't strike me as being a savvy guy.

[GioforPM]

If I’m the Oilers I trade Draisaitl to the Kings right now for Kopitar straight up. Gives them 1.5M more after year one, a better 200 foot player, and IMO a better chance at a cup.