Draisaitl (8 years/$8.5 mil per) vs. Pastrnak (6 years/$6.667 mil per)

[The Macho King]

Yeah if I had to guess today who will be better, I'd choose Draisaitl too. For the purposes of the poll, I could see either choice.

There's also a question as to how much of a gap there is between the players. "Better player first" is nice and all, but if you're talking a minimal difference in impact (say 2-5 points in a given season?) then maybe the 2 million is the difference between keeping the core together or losing a key piece.

And of bobholly's examples, the only two that are compared that actually *are* as close as Pasta and Drai would be Kucherov and Tarasenko in my mind. If you're talking at Kucherov at 9.5 (for example) and Tarasenko at 7.5 over similar terms, even if you rank Kucherov slightly higher (and no one would rank him more than slightly higher even as a huge Kucherov fan), the balance may be in favor of taking Tarasenko.

Hedman/OEL, Stamkos/Tavares (depending on when you date it from) don't have that same degree of "well they're both about the same".

I don't think Drai's contract is bad though. It's a risk, but he plays an important position and has produced well to date. But I think Pasta is a bargain.

 

[CraigsList]

people seem to forget he had a very good first "full" season (51 pts in 72 games as a full-time center...58 point pace)

this isn't a one-year wonder

At 8.5m I certainly hope he can put up PPG like Stamkos, because he's getting paid the same amount as him. The good thing about his contract though is he does get 2 more UFA years bought.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

At 8.5m I certainly hope he can put up PPG like Stamkos, because he's getting paid the same amount as him. The good thing about his contract though is he does get 2 more UFA years bought.

and they're paying him during his peak years (21-29)

 

[jeffff]

Draisaitl has 35-40 lbs on Pastrnak. As a winger Draisaitl is better and as a center...oh yeah Pastrnak doesn't play center.

They are both the same age.

David has 96pts in a 136 games over the last two years. Leon has a 138pts in the 154 games. That stat alone makes Draisaitl worth more.

Pastrnak has 4 pts in 6 playoff games. Draisaitl has 16pts in 13 games.

There is absolutely nothing that Pastrnak does better than Leon.

 

[McDavidCrushedLarkin]

Gotta always go with the better player and natural Center in Draisaitl.

 

[flamesforcup]

2 RW but one makes alot more and was attached to Mcdavid. Pastrnack rather easily.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

2 RW but one makes alot more and was attached to Mcdavid. Pastrnack rather easily.

didn't Pasta play on the same line as 85 point Brad Marchand?

 

[TheDoldrums]

There is absolutely nothing that Pastrnak does better than Leon.

Uh, score goals?

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Uh, score goals?

And skating.

 

[McDavidCrushedLarkin]

didn't Pasta play on the same line as 85 point Brad Marchand?

Shhh only Draisaitl plays with superstar players.

 

[Sheppy]

Draisaitl has 35-40 lbs on Pastrnak. As a winger Draisaitl is better and as a center...oh yeah Pastrnak doesn't play center.

They are both the same age.

David has 96pts in a 136 games over the last two years. Leon has a 138pts in the 154 games. That stat alone makes Draisaitl worth more.

Pastrnak has 4 pts in 6 playoff games. Draisaitl has 16pts in 13 games.

There is absolutely nothing that Pastrnak does better than Leon.

Leon played 21 more games than Pastrnak in 2015-16, I love how you didn't include that.

If you're going to cherry pick stats, at least do it from a career stand point. Pastrnak has 123 in 172, Leon has 137 in 191 - That's .72 PPG for both guys. I believe Pastrnak played under 14 minutes per game until this past season, too. Leon is a -12, Pasta is a +26...

 

[Saidin]

I do agree paying for UFA years does come at a premium, but 1.833 mill a year for those two years?! DAMN.

 

[KlefDown]

Pasta. Lower cap, lower term. How you would vote for Draisaitl is beyond me.

or what about better player?
Bruins gave Pastrnak the "Gaudreau" contract while Oilers gave Draisaitl the "Tarasenko" contract.
If Bruins wanted Pasta for 8, they would have had to pay something similar, vice versa with Oilers and Drai

 

[BHD]

Definitely Pastrnak if we're taking the contract into consideration.

 

[Laineux]

2 RW but one makes alot more and was attached to Mcdavid. Pastrnack rather easily.

Draisaitl played with McDavid and Maroon but Pastrnak played with Bergeron and Marchand in the most dominant possession line in NHL.

I'd say their linemates as a whole were pretty equal.

 

[I am not exposed]

Definitely Pastrnak if we're taking the contract into consideration.

This.

 

[ijuka]

Pastrnak's deal is significantly better.

Sure, it lasts for 2 years less and he's a winger, but the AAV on the Draisaitl deal is still far too high.

 

[Skip2myBordyloo]

There is absolutely nothing that Pastrnak does better than Leon.

Uh, score goals?

And skating.

I laughed, Give me Draisatl though, I'll pay the extra 2 million for 2 years for that guy I saw in the playoffs last year.

 

[jeffff]

Leon played 21 more games than Pastrnak in 2015-16, I love how you didn't include that.

If you're going to cherry pick stats, at least do it from a career stand point. Pastrnak has 123 in 172, Leon has 137 in 191 - That's .72 PPG for both guys. I believe Pastrnak played under 14 minutes per game until this past season, too. Leon is a -12, Pasta is a +26...

Huh...I said that Leon played 154 games and David played 136over the past two seasons. You wan't me to go through and state how many games each player played on each day of the week?

Neither player earned their contract based on their first season, that is why I included the last two seasons.

In 15/16 Boston as a team was +8....the Oilers were -43. Pastrnak wasn't good enough to play big minutes against other teams top lines, hence the 14 min/pg.....whereas Draisaitl was. Last year Pastrnak was +11 and Leon +7.

Anyone who says that David Pastrnak is a more valuable, better all around hockey player than Leon Draisaitl doesn't know the first thing about hockey. Every GM in the league would take LD over DP on their team. I know that because I've spoken to every GM in the league

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

I laughed, Give me Draisatl though, I'll pay the extra 2 million for 2 years for that guy I saw in the playoffs last year.

You mean an extra 1.83M per year for the next 6 years.

Then in 7y, Pasta gets an extension. It's either for less or more than 8.5M.

If that's for less, those"but...but...but... 6y vs 8y!" comments will look even more foolish.

If it's for more, Draisaitl, who is the better player (right?) will then sign for even more 2y later after his 68M/8y deal ends.

Which means that, for the next decade+, Draisaitl will either always have a higher Cap hit than Pasta or have a lower Cap hit for a whole 2y.

Great job Don.

 

[BruinLVGA]

This can only be Pastrnak. Yeah the Oilers bought two more years, but at $28m (twenty-eight million) more. If Pastrnak after this contract somehow gets to command $14m per year, that would probably mean the Bruins would have on their hands the best player in the league. A win-win situation for the Bruins.

 

[A4T1L6]

damn drai's contract is bad

 

[Skip2myBordyloo]

You mean an extra 1.83M per year for the next 6 years.

Then in 7y, Pasta gets an extension. It's either for less or more than 8.5M.

If that's for less, those"but...but...but... 6y vs 8y!" comments will look even more foolish.

If it's for more, Draisaitl, who is the better player (right?) will then sign for even more 2y later after his 68M/8y deal ends.

Which means that, for the next decade+, Draisaitl will either always have a higher Cap hit than Pasta or have a lower Cap hit for a whole 2y.

Great job Don.

Draisatl was better than McDavid in the playoffs, if he brings that the Oilers will be cup winners in the near future, maybe multiple times that's worth the overpayment for the 2nd best player on the team.

 

[CanadianSniper]

You mean an extra 1.83M per year for the next 6 years.

Then in 7y, Pasta gets an extension. It's either for less or more than 8.5M.

If that's for less, those"but...but...but... 6y vs 8y!" comments will look even more foolish.

If it's for more, Draisaitl, who is the better player (right?) will then sign for even more 2y later after his 68M/8y deal ends.

Which means that, for the next decade+, Draisaitl will either always have a higher Cap hit than Pasta or have a lower Cap hit for a whole 2y.

Great job Don.

And what if Pasta doesn't sign an extension and leaves via free agency in 6 years? Those 2 extra guaranteed years would probably look pretty good then..

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Pasta, but really don't blame anyone for taking Drai. Two very similar players at similar stages of their careers.