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

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Oilers best defender (on a bad defence) is 35 this season...they have no prospects especially at D

Oilers do not have a 4-5 year cup window. Its cup or bust

Their window was last season, they are done.

[My2Cents]

I think we understand why the Oilers extended Drai. Infact for the fanbase and team it may have been the best move. I wont even argue it was a bad move, star players dont come by often and sell tickets/merchandise. However...

Time and time again we have seen its extremely hard to win with players taking up huge percentages of the cap. Add all the other cap issues the oilers have its going to be very hard for them to be cup contenders over this window.

I think its fair to say this is an important signing for the Oilers and also say they probably wont win a cup during this contract as their window is closing (closed?) fast.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

He's their 5th or 6th best player. He's not their 2nd or 3rd best.

Makes a huge difference.

You said he’s not supposed to help them make the playoffs.
Regardless of where he is on the derpth chart, he’s still supposed to help them win.

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Lmao what. Ok then. Weird take.

Not really that weird a take to call someone for suggesting they’ve been “following the careers” of those powerhouse players.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Window has 2 seasons left.

They're cooked at that point when everyone has received their raises. Add that to the decline/expiry of the derpth and inability to shell out near the same AAVs as they have been.

Their team will be as shallow as their media's grasp of the game/its rules.

[My2Cents]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Window has 2 seasons left.

They're cooked at that point when everyone has received their raises. Add that to the decline/expiry of the derpth and inability to shell out near the same AAVs as they have been.

Their team will be as shallow as their media's grasp of the game/its rules.

And it will be glorious. Probably won’t be able to trade the stars without retention, probably won’t ever bottom out. Mucky middle for them for 10 years until they can properly rebuild. Could be a 10-15 rough patch.

I just hope they keep going all in instead of showing restraint.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by My2Cents

And it will be glorious. Probably won’t be able to trade the stars without retention, probably won’t ever bottom out. Mucky middle for them for 10 years until they can properly rebuild. Could be a 10-15 rough patch.

I just hope they keep going all in instead of showing restraint.

And I think we all (well most) can agree on this

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

You said he’s not supposed to help them make the playoffs.
Regardless of where he is on the derpth chart, he’s still supposed to help them win.



Not really that weird a take to call someone for suggesting they’ve been “following the careers” of those powerhouse players.

I said he's a passenger on the bus and not expected to drive the bus. I don't understand why that's so difficult.

That's the difference between his role in Edmonton and his role in Buffalo.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

I said he's a passenger on the bus and not expected to drive the bus. I don't understand why that's so difficult.

That's the difference between his role in Edmonton and his role in Buffalo.

Why don't you stop talking about J. Skinner who won't be on the team when the contract we are discussing starts.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by My2Cents

I think we understand why the Oilers extended Drai. Infact for the fanbase and team it may have been the best move. I wont even argue it was a bad move, star players dont come by often and sell tickets/merchandise. However...

Time and time again we have seen its extremely hard to win with players taking up huge percentages of the cap. Add all the other cap issues the oilers have its going to be very hard for them to be cup contenders over this window.

I think its fair to say this is an important signing for the Oilers and also say they probably wont win a cup during this contract as their window is closing (closed?) fast.

100% they had to extend draisaitl. He has proven chemistry with McDavid and swapping in other players would be a huge gamble in the middle of McDavid's prime. This was also a team that went to the cup final. You can't screw with the make up of the team by letting draisaitl walk.

That being said, draisaitl bent the Oilers over. He squeezed them for every dime. While the Oilers accomplished signing Draisaitl, they did it in the worst way possible.

This move also shows that Draisaitl is more concerned with money than winning. He's not giving the team any room to improve.

[My2Cents]

Originally Posted by blankall

100% they had to extend draisaitl. He has proven chemistry with McDavid and swapping in other players would be a huge gamble in the middle of McDavid's prime. This was also a team that went to the cup final. You can't screw with the make up of the team by letting draisaitl walk.

That being said, draisaitl bent the Oilers over. He squeezed them for every dime. While the Oilers accomplished signing Draisaitl, they did it in the worst way possible.

This move also shows that Draisaitl is more concerned with money than winning. He's not giving the team any room to improve.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, my money is on Drai not wanting to sign so he put a huge ask to the team so he could say the Oilers wouldnt pay when he left. But when they came up to his asking price he would be crazy not to sign. He left absolutely nothing on the table and probably got way more than he would have on the open market.

[simonsays]

I think its a fair price for the guy. He might be boosted by 97, but he's an absolute beast in the playoffs. Overpaid, ya. But that's the biz. Top 5 in points over the last 7 years or some such.


But all told this is good. Locking in the big German for a ludicrous sum is the best we can ask for. I don't see him as the type of leader who will rally the troops when McD isn't available.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by My2Cents

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, my money is on Drai not wanting to sign so he put a huge ask to the team so he could say the Oilers wouldnt pay when he left. But when they came up to his asking price he would be crazy not to sign. He left absolutely nothing on the table and probably got way more than he would have on the open market.

No. This is definitely market value. He probably could have gotten 15M/7 years if he wanted to leave.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by VilleN

No. This is definitely market value. He probably could have gotten 15M/7 years if he wanted to leave.

He got $112M over 8 years, so he'd actually be looking at $16M per year over 7 to have the money come out equal.

Draisaitl definitely didn't give a home town discount, but he was significantly underpaid on 7 out of the 8 years on his last deal so I can't say I blame the guy.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

He got $112M over 8 years, so he'd actually be looking at $16M per year over 7 to have the money come out equal.

Draisaitl definitely didn't give a home town discount, but he was significantly underpaid on 7 out of the 8 years on his last deal so I can't say I blame the guy.

No you can’t blame a guy for maxing out the pay on his post apex years, it’s old school bad ass. You have to blame the idiot GM

[My2Cents]

Plus all signing bonuses etc etc. Not only is the contract AAV high its as generous as it can possibly be in how its paid out. He now has his money and 9 years of stability (8 years plus the one year remaining). He would have been crazy to risk playing another year and then hitting the open market if this was offered to him.

[Phil Russell]

I think they had to sign the cranky German and that they likely have 2-3 more years of being a legit contender--top 5 in the league say--assuming McDavid is signed. But it is a really old, shallow and fragile contending team where one injury, one notable underperformance, one stretch of questionable play on D or G, sinks them. To some degree you could say this of any team, but the Oilers are trying to thread a smaller needle, walk a more tenuous tightrope than more well-managed and rounded-out teams.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Phil Russell

I think they had to sign the cranky German and that they likely have 2-3 more years of being a legit contender--top 5 in the league say--assuming McDavid is signed. But it is a really old, shallow and fragile contending team where one injury, one notable underperformance, one stretch of questionable play on D or G, sinks them. To some degree you could say this of any team, but the Oilers are trying to thread a smaller needle, walk a more tenuous tightrope than more well-managed and rounded-out teams.

They finished 9th overall last season. Getting arguably worse on defense and forward depth somehow elevates them to the top 5?

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

I said he's a passenger on the bus and not expected to drive the bus. I don't understand why that's so difficult.

That's the difference between his role in Edmonton and his role in Buffalo.

That’s not what you said the first time.
You said “he’s not supposed to help them make the playoffs”.
Now you’ve changed your position.
I don’t understand why that’s so difficult to understand.

[1qqaaz]

I think people generally overstate the effect of future cap increases as it relates to average annual values.

I also think people generally undervalue the effect that aging inevitably has on players, especially those who are older than 32.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Even if one believes this contract will be painful in a few years, if they win a cup in the next 2-3 years none of that matters.