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

[Coffee]

Perhaps if they continue to meet in the playoffs, but I don’t see it as a rivalry currently.

If the Canucks make the playoffs again then it's respect

Anyway, the playoffs are a fun time when I get to watch McDrai, anyone can generally agree fan of Oilers or not

 

[Lacaar]

Whether in your subjective opinion he is specifically number 2 or not is completely irrelevant; he is clearly in the highest echelon of elite talent in the league.

I always find it so bizarre when people feel the need to laugh at someone for making a reasonable statement just because it doesn't fit with the narrative in their heads.

What makes it even funnier is the name of the poster you replied to. I had a good laugh at that.

 

[BleedBlue14]

I think it's silly for people to sit here and pencil in contracts that haven't been signed as some sort of reason things will be bad moving forward.

But that's HFBoards.

I mean it’s a salary cap era currently. It’s pretty pertinent information.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But this contract weighs extremely heavily in the Oilers future, as does Bouchard, as does McDavids.

I’d agree if the cap weren’t a hard cap, but it is.

 

[VeteranPresence]

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He shows up when it matters, that is for sure!

That is a lot for a great player who is an even 5v5 player and gets a lot of points on the PP.

Just an opinion, but I don't see this contract aging well.

Can you do me a favour and "snip" how effective he is defensively at 5v5, specifically in the playoffs... assuming with that many points he must be helping his team win a lot at 5v5.

Don't worry champ, you'll get one eventually.

 

[McFlyingV]

Toews and Kane all over again but if the Oilers get a cup then it will be worth it. But they have to ditch that Nurse contract if possible.

The biggest issue with the Toews/Kane signings were that they weren't on the McDrai level of superstardom as a pair, and the cap wasn't projected to rise like it is currently. With a stagnant cap I'd agree somewhat, but the cap is projected to continue growing well over 100M in the next few years.

 

[bucks_oil]

Broken ribs and a broken thumb buddy. Your stars didn't do anything in the finals. Bob won that thing.

... and by one goal in a game 7 series.

Can't we just agree it was a great series by both teams and move on? Plenty of sore winners among that FLA fanbase, at least the vocal ones on HFBoards. Haven't seen that by other recent winners - it's a strange complex.

 

[TFHockey]

It’s better than losing him but that’s the absolute most anyone could justify paying him, he’s no longer a valuable asset, if he made any more than that he would hold negative trade value.

Good grief.

... and by one goal in a game 7 series.

Can't we just agree it was a great series by both teams and move on? Plenty of sore winners among that FLA fanbase, at least the vocal ones on HFBoards. Haven't seen that by other recent winners - it's a strange complex.

100% Great series, close as it gets. Congrats to the Panthers, but next year will be the Oilers turn

(we hope!)

 

[Devilsfan118]

I mean he's a phenomenal player, but there is no way years four through eight look good on this deal.

The NHL really needs to do away with guaranteed contracts.

 

[Coffey]

Yeah but how many Selke votes did he get

This is the same bullshit that Ovechkin had to put up with before he won a cup.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

This looks about right. Congrats to the Oilers

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I mean he's a phenomenal player, but there is no way years four through eight look good on this deal.

The NHL really needs to do away with guaranteed contracts.

He'll only be 34. Not bad.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

It may end up being an overpay in year 5 but the oilers' window is now. Its better than losing him for nothing, hes always gonna have some value. Way better than the Matthews contract.

 

[bucks_oil]

Draisaitl is 68 and 65 at ES over the last 3 playoffs.

You asked about 5v5. I gave you 5v5.

All game states matter and net of net, this guy outscores opponents by a margin of 2-1 (and yes, that includes his time on the PK).

Keep in mind this is a team that PKs @ ~80% and scores on the PP @ 30%... In the playoffs, when the going got tougher, our PK was 94% and our PP as 29%Drai is a huge part of that net positive.

I'd hazard a guess he's going to do better at 5v5 this season with Nuge and Arvidsson vs a revolving collection of Holloway, (injured) Kane, Foegele, McLeod and Perry. It's just a hunch.

 

[Larry Hanson]

$104 million of it in signing bonuses?
Wow, what a team friendly deal

 

[TFHockey]

I mean he's a phenomenal player, but there is no way years four through eight look good on this deal.

The NHL really needs to do away with guaranteed contracts.

Create a soft cap, luxury tax on those teams that go over, no escrow for the players... but no guaranteed contracts? I like it

Also, for every dollar a team goes over the cap they have to pay into a fund that gets distributed to all other teams under the cap. Then those teams soft cap limit goes UP by that amount.

Over by $1M? You pay the league an additional million, and all other teams under the cap have a cap bonus of the same amount. So in the end you're helping the other teams meet the cap limit. So it's a risk/reward thing.

Just a thought.

Congrats to Leon, too. Media availability about to start

 

[McFlyingV]

I mean he's a phenomenal player, but there is no way years four through eight look good on this deal.

The NHL really needs to do away with guaranteed contracts.

I mean Joe Thornton finished 5th in the league in points at the age of 36 (as a comparable play style to Drai). Could Drai fall off a cliff? Sure, any player technically could. I just don't know why it's a foregone conclusion on here that Drai will fall off a cliff at the age of 34 (year 4 of his deal). The truth is most superstars don't really fall off until they're in the 36-38 range which is when this deal finishes.

 

[GMR]

Yeah lets just forget his ribs were broken by Meyers against VAN and his thumb was broken in that series by that dirt bag team

Draisaitl hasn’t always been an angel on the ice himself.

 

[Half Clapper]

To me, the Oilers are a fragile team on the downswing. I think they had their shot last season and blew it.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

It’s better than losing him but that’s the absolute most anyone could justify paying him, he’s no longer a valuable asset, if he made any more than that he would hold negative trade value.

Lol!!!!! he is still a valuable asset. A 2.5M dollar AAV player who is worth 4M like say a Drouin isnt somehow worth more than Drai. Wtf.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

The biggest issue with the Toews/Kane signings were that they weren't on the McDrai level of superstardom as a pair, and the cap wasn't projected to rise like it is currently. With a stagnant cap I'd agree somewhat, but the cap is projected to continue growing well over 100M in the next few years.

It will grow 11% over the next 4.

 

[GOilers88]

I mean it’s a salary cap era currently. It’s pretty pertinent information.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But this contract weighs extremely heavily in the Oilers future, as does Bouchard, as does McDavids.

I’d agree if the cap weren’t a hard cap, but it is.

Sure. But people talking about Bouchards mega deal as a hindrance is funny since he hasn't signed anything and we don't actually know what the deal will be.

 

[Half Clapper]

I mean Joe Thornton finished 5th in the league in points at the age of 36 (as a comparable play style to Drai). Could Drai fall off a cliff? Sure, any player technically could. I just don't know why it's a foregone conclusion on here that Drai will fall off a cliff at the age of 34 (year 4 of his deal). The truth is most superstars don't really fall off until they're in the 36-38 range which is when this deal finishes.

He is already falling off. A player can only take so many injuries.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Draisaitl hasn’t always been an angel on the ice himself.

Oh don't get me wrong. He has been a prick lol

 

[Bizz]

That's one million dollars for every dive he takes per season.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

That's one million dollars for every dive he takes per season.

You must be an Ehlers or Petersson fan