Speculation: Which teams would realistically be able and willing to sign Draisaitl if he didn't sign in Edmonton?

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Think he’d be okay playing behind PLD?

PLD would be moved down a line in this case

 

[hockeykicker]

Washington definitely can if they wanted to. They have oshie, backstrom, magiapane, chychrun coming off books next year

 

[HuGort]

This isn't a knock on the Oilers and just something I wonder about "logistically" when a player who potentially is this expensive comes up at this point.
Especially as I'm in general really bad at reading and understanding potential trades.

Undoubtedly every team would love to have a guy like him, but which team would within this timeline actually be well suited, without throwing other parts of the team into chaos, say by sacrificing their top defensive line? And also have the money, or ability to move players to get that money?

Would Oilers risk losing him for nil?

 

[GCK]

What is max anyways?

What is max anyways?

18.4M next year 25/26

 

[bernmeister]

I'm guessing most can position to have enough cap space, incl Rangers.
Trouba will be gone
other moves will add cap

 

[19 for president]

Wings would probably have around 14-15 mil to offer next season if they wanted to go that high. I don't think they would go that high, but you never know. Wings have a bunch of rookies that should be ready to make the roster after next season and Seider/Ray should be locked up already.

Tank-Drai-Ray
DBC-Larkin- MBN/Danielson (975k)
Berggren (1.25)-Kasper (886K)-Ras
Fischer (1.25)-Copp-Mazur (905k)

Seider-Gus
Chiarot-Ed
Holl-Aljo (1)

Talbot
Cossa

I don't see them dealing for Drai because Stevie won't want to gut the depth of this team because we are built to be a depth team, but as a UFA I think the Wings would go hard.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Leafs. Tavares and Marner off the books. Leafs need a 2nd top6 C. Drai has a cottage in Muskoka where he lives in the summer. Guessing his Fiance will want to stay in the GTA.

Knies Draisaitl Nylander
Domi Matthews Cowan

 

[BillR10]

Have a feeling the sharks german owner would want GMMG to be all in for him it he became available.

 

[TageGod]

18.4M next year 25/26

umm, yeah, pass. I can get a #1C and #1D for that cash. Someone else can have him for that.

 

[Rebels57]

I would think the Flyers will be all in and will throw a massive offer his way. The Flyers haven't landed a big time free agent since Briere way back in the summer of 2007.

Draisaitl with Michkov could be a blast.

 

[Yatzhee]

What is max anyways?

Max $ and term

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Chicago makes sense.

Then Drai can continue his career in the shadow of a Connor.

 

[CascadiaPuck]

umm, yeah, pass. I can get a #1C and #1D for that cash. Someone else can have him for that.

It’s way too much money for sure, but it seems pretty unlikely that you’d be able to sign a 1D and 1C for $18M combined in the current cap climate.

 

[Tatanka]

Buffalo would move Cozens, as in trade, to max contract Draisaitl most likely. As others have pointed out, many teams would be willing, it's Draisaitl's choice as to where he'd go, and he'll most definitely be a max contract doing so imho.

I think they would move Thompson, keep Cozens.

 

[TageGod]

It’s way too much money for sure, but it seems pretty unlikely that you’d be able to sign a 1D and 1C for $18M combined in the current cap climate.

Most top D are in 9.0-10.5 range right now. You can get a 1C for 10m. Maybe it's like 2 extra million on the cap but that's nothing.

 

[Drake1588]

The reality is that if he expressed interest through unofficial channels, most capped-out teams would take steps to clear the necessary space and not think twice about it. For a player that good, "throwing the roster into chaos" is worth it. They would address that chaos later.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

TBL, FLA, DAL, VGK, NSH.

 

[leafsfan5]

We would (hopefully) let Marner walk and offer Draisaitl an absolute bag

 

[Killswitch]

No interest in that contract for 7 years from a Leaf fans perspective unless McDavid is coming with him. I can't see Edmonton not re-signing him anyway

 

[LOFIN]

It's a lot shorter list to name the teams that are fine with their top-6 forwards, and don't see it worth the hassle to make a change.

A lot of teams would try to make it work. Centers of his caliber are never available in free agency.

 

[BLNY]

This isn't a knock on the Oilers and just something I wonder about "logistically" when a player who potentially is this expensive comes up at this point.
Especially as I'm in general really bad at reading and understanding potential trades.

Undoubtedly every team would love to have a guy like him, but which team would within this timeline actually be well suited, without throwing other parts of the team into chaos, say by sacrificing their top defensive line? And also have the money, or ability to move players to get that money?

Montreal will have the cap space to do it, but it would be fair to debate whether they should.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

The Oilers insider has been hinting at Draisaitls contract being 13.25 x 8 so if we say 13.5 x 8 that’s a total value of 108M.

I’m sure Leon has a list of preferred destinations if he’s signing somewhere long term but is he willing to make considerably less to do so? A 14 x 7 which would be a higher AAV then Oilers at 13.5 would still only result in a total value of 98M. Is Leon willing to leave 10M on the table? If a team wants to match Oilers contract they’d have to be at 15.5M and a team that might not be on his preferred destination list is probably having to go over 16 just to get his consideration.

Oilers have a substantial advantage in the combination of money and team competitiveness that they can offer.

 

[Larry Hanson]

We would (hopefully) let Marner walk and offer Draisaitl an absolute bag

Let one massively overpaid forward walk then use that space to add another massively overpaid forward..

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Damn near every team in the league would make it work if Drai was interested. A shorter list would be what teams wouldn't be? Florida?

Vegas doesn't have the space and even if it did, Leon wouldn't fit in to Cassidy's defense-first scheme with relatively few PPs particularly well.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Let one massively overpaid forward walk then use that space to add another massively overpaid forward..

Draisaitl had 10 playoff goals this year alone. Mitch has 11 in his career. Let's not pretend like they're the same.

Realistically though, he's staying in Edmonton. Even his agent thinks he stays.