Confirmed Signing with Link: [EDM] F Leon Draisaitl signs extension with the Oilers (8 years, $14M AAV; begins 2025-26)

[pantherbot]

Wrong.

Mcdavid is signed to the same percentage of the cap as Crosby was.

Draisaitl is now signed to nearly the exact cap percentage as Malkins extension was.

They won 2 cups after that.

Actually, Crosby and Malkin's first large contracts coming out of their ELC years were signed at around 15.5%, but that covered their prime mid-20s. They won one cup during that time right at the beginning of those contracts, partly helped by Malkin still being on ELC in 2009.

The contracts they signed afterwards were more team-friendly. Crosby and Malkin both signed their third contracts for around 13.5% of the cap, and Crosby signed a team-friendly 12-year deal. After that they won the two cups.

McDavid's second contract was at 15.7% of the cap and his third starting in his year 29 will likely be similar while Draisaitl only took 11.3% on his second, but this third contract will be >15.5% when it starts next year when he's almost 30.

So no, the Penguins never won with both Crosby and Malkin signed above 15% of the cap.

 

[KW]

As a Panthers fan, this is great news, and I hope McD gets $17+ and Bouchbomb gets $10+, it’ll be an even better day.

 

[tmg]

Largest $ amount in NHL history coming up

Interestingly, in terms of total dollars - it isn’t the largest in nhl history. Ovechkin’s 13 year deal was $124 mil - more than this deal’s $112 mil.

 

[bucks_oil]

Granted they have this season + next where it shouldn't be too great an issue. Is the bolded a given, though? They have to sign Bouchard as well have to think he is going to be around the 10M mark.

I guess they have Kane, Arvidsson, Henrique, Skinner, Ekholm, Kulak all expiring on or before the next 2 years so they should be fine in terms of re-signing core guys like Bouchard.

I'm just making the point that any new contract (and we have three big ones coming on in a two year period) are constraining in the first year they are signed and (with rising cap) become less of a concern as the contract ages (provided that the player continues to perform... which should be a non-issue for at least 5 years).

So 2024: Oilers are in great shape with Leon @ 8.5, Bouch at $3.9 and McD at $12.5... huge bargains!!!
2025: Oilers will be highly constrained with both Leon @14 and Bosch at ~$10M... Ekholm, Kane, Arvidsson and Henrique are all still on the books too, 2-3 of which will be in decline. This will be a tough year.
2026: McD kicks in and cap appreciation still hasn't taken the sting off Drai and Bouch... however we have $18M off the books... we probably won't be able to full rebuild our depth just yet. This will be an ok year, but my prediction is we'll have gaps we haven't filled... not too many cheap prospects set to make an impact yet.
2027 onward: Cap is probably about 100M according to projections I've seen. That's $18M above 2023/24 and our golden trio's raises only account for ~+$15M, so effectively we are better off than we were last year... plus we freed up that $18M in 2026, so depending on how we've spent that money, from here we should be tweaking around the edges for cup runs in 2027, 2028... etc until the wheels fall off after McDrai's peak years.

In my mind our window is 2024, 2027, 2028 and diminishing thereafter...

 

[CanadasTeam99]

So, for the oilers, this is great news, there's always been an undercurrent of worry that both drai and McDavid walk. Saying that, this contract is not likely to be one you can win with, especially if mcdavid signs at 15,

You've essentially recreated the leafs situation with 2 players instead of 3. they'll need depth to get them through, and they're prospect cupboard is bare when it comes to having cheap depth on the way

Big difference. The Oiler players produce at 1980 levels in the playoffs.....

 

[Jeune Poulet]

$14M, until Draisaitl is 38 years old. Sacrificed a chance to compete for a bag.

The Oilers now have a window of exactly 1 season to win the cup, before the franchise turns into a complete shitshow. They have Nurse at $9.25 mil until 2030 (lol). They are low on quality prospects and already traded away many of their 2025 draft picks, including their 1st.

Contrary to a lot of people here, I think the chances of McDavid leaving Edmonton just increased significantly.

 

[McBooya42]

Non-Oiler fans who were sure that he would sign somewhere else, or pull a Matthews with a 5 year deal, or that he would take 15+ saying congrats...

 

[waitin425]

The last three years of this contract will hurt. Leon will be 35, 36 and 37 for most of those 3 years (October birthday).

A similar player (impact wise) is Patrick Kane. Imagine paying Kaner 14 million last year, this year and next? (November birthday).

Edit.....Just to clarify....I don't see any other option here for Edmonton. Drai is absolutely needed to compete for that Cup over the next 5 years. I just think it'll hurt in the end.

 

[ManofSteel55]

McDavid should demand a trade to a large U.S. market so that he can be more famous. Preferably an original six team.

Do we really want the Rangers or Bruins to get better though?

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

He has deserved that figure. He's been hugely underpaid for the past few seasons and is one of the top 5 players in the league.

This is not far off Mitch Marner's contract when he signed in 2019, inflation adjusted (ie Marner signed for almost 11m and this is the equivalent of 11.3m for that time).

 

[Ghetty Green]

Good deal for Oilers. I thiught he was gonna get at least 15m

 

[GermanRocket7]

nice, when a hater like you dislikes it, it's a good deal

Flyers would've paid 15 mil for his services

Flyers could have added keys to the city and every player still declines. Sorry, not sorry.

 

[Unsustainable]

If it is the Oilers window is the next 2 years for sure. Mcdavid will get a big raise and so will Bouchard. Potentially looking at 40M for 3 players

49 if you add in Nurse

 

[Sniper99]

14M Draisaitl
Bouchard will get 10-12M
McDavid 16M+
Nurse 9.5M

Lol at least $50-55M on 4 players.

50-55 mill tied up in 5 players in Toronto. At least those players you mention show up in the playoffs

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

Moot point but it’s an interesting thought experiment about if they would have been better trading him now for a huge return - and using that $14 million for 2 to 3 excellent players that obviously not as good as him… Plus getting the draft And like the super high prospects that a trade would’ve brought back.

They have McDavid… The effect of him elevating those around him cannot be understated, and I wonder if in the long run, they would’ve had more chance at sustained success by a trade.

It will be very tough for them to compete after this year with those two contracts plus the defenseman contracts on the books. They will not have enough depth to compete in the league and if any of their top four players get injured, they’re cooked.

 

[notbias]

Non-Oiler fans who were sure that he would sign somewhere else, or pull a Matthews with a 5 year deal, or that he would take 15+ saying congrats...

Why do you want a 35 year old Drai making 14 million?

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

Congrats Oilers fans. After the dark years of the early 2000's, it's good to see star players stick around.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Great news for Draisaitl, the Oilers organization, and Oilers fans. Awesome to get this done before it becomes a distraction and enables the Oilers to plan long term.

 

[ManofSteel55]

As an Oiler fan, I am over the moon. The only negative here is that most were hoping he would take a bit more of a discount (13.25 - 13.5), but that's so minor in the grand scheme of things. We have a top 5 player in the world locked up, probably for the rest of his career, and it increases the odds that we will be able to re-sign McDavid as well.

Love it. I'm happy.

 

[saska sault]

Only people complaining about this deal are non Edmonton fans. He's 28 right? Not 35. He's still got so many years of massive production on him, the end of the contract doesn't matter. They have a huge window if and when they sign McDavid and Bouchard. People can say look at the salary cap percentages but the top 2 earners are actually worth it.

 

[Coffee]

Why is the boards so quiet today @Beukeboom Fan @PromisedLand

 

[cc]

Not a bad deal in relative terms but not a home town discount. Came at the expected price

 

[Oilslick941611]

Why do you want a 35 year old Drai making 14 million?

because it gets you Leon Draisaitl in his prime.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Gotta find a way to ship out Nurse.

I think his NMC shifts to a modified NTC with 10 teams we can move him to in 2 years (maybe 3, I'm not looking it up). Then it's at least possible, if not plausible, to trade him.

 

[Sniper99]

Why give Bouchard 10M? If it's what he wants, then that's the one Edmonton should let go. They'll find good defensemen wanting to play there for a more reasonable price.

No way Bouchard gets 10-12 mill unless he wins a Norris. I can see 8-9 mill. But anything at 10 and over is a bit much