Confirmed with Link: Draisaitl re-signs 8y 8.5M AAV

[Jimmi McJenkins]

or had an ok playoffs with two really good games.

Draisaitl? That's BS.

 

[Del Preston]

So they're career numbers aren't almost the same? No need to put down other players just to try and justify Drai's contact. Drai had a great season playing on McDavid's wing. No one is saying he didn't. Yet Pastrnak had a better season not playing with a McDavid. Like I said, two great young players.

Read what you want to read, I guess.

I didn't put down either player or say they weren't similar. You were the one that did so by saying Draisaitl has had one good season when that's simply not true, and the only good season you say he had was because he was playing with McDavid.

Pastrnak wasn't exactly playing with crap players in Boston this past season.

 

[SK13]

Drai also dominated the playoffs when McDavid was failing somewhat to produce.

McDavid had the best defensive players in the world boat anchored to him the entire time, and Draisaitl was also largely unproductive when on that line.

You really shouldn't be basing your entire thesis off a sample like that, anyway. There have been MANY players who have had great stretches or great playoffs who weren't going to maintain that. It's really a dozen games versus the other 82.

 

[Aerchon]

So what are the future implications of this deal one/two years from now? Barring a major leap in the Canadian dollar, I would imagine that both Maroon and Nuge are goners and both Nurse and Benning are going to get bridge-dealed hard when their deals expire. I see this contract as purely the Current cost of doing business but given dollars tied up in an immovable Lucic plus difficult to move deals for Russell and Sekera, the negative consequences are somewhat inevitable. Its a shame. I love Nuge and the Big Rig and I sincerely hoped we'd have a chance of retaining them.

If things go similar to last year in terms of standings and results I expect we will only lose one.

If we end up with a swack of progress from the guys that need raises the following year... we lose both potentially. Take the division conference and get a cup... Lol, we would probably lose half our team I would of course think its worth it we managed a cup next year.

Anyone who says players will come at discount to play with McDavid or a winning Oilers team... Or say that other players here, like Maroon, will take discounts to stay in Edmonton are out to lunch. It's laughable to say Mcdavid or Leon took discounts to stick with the team.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

McDavid had the best defensive players in the world boat anchored to him the entire time, and Draisaitl was also largely unproductive when on that line.

You really shouldn't be basing your entire thesis off a sample like that, anyway. There have been MANY players who have had great stretches or great playoffs who weren't going to maintain that.

People gleefully ran Eberle out of town based on it.

 

[Mr Positive]

I agree that this high a number is premature but Im still happy. This contract is a gamble but Drai is a great player to gamble on. And, I'd rather take this gamble than the gamble of signing him on a bridge deal. Id say the odds are we'd be signing him for more then

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Darisaitl has had 1 successful season. He managed to hit it out of the park last year but its still 1 season. 1 season playing with the best player in the world BTW.

So no...I do not think that justifys $8.5M over 8 years. Its an over pay IMO by at least $1M per year.

Now we have $21M tied up for the next 8 years and we have to hope like hell that this wasnt a one off year for Leon. You cant base 8 years of contract on 1 season...its a bad risk IMO.

I consider his 2nd season as successful
Oilers were were in a tough spot and no doubt this is risky to a degree but his performance in the playoffs against a heavy tough team sealed my thought on him
He was downright dominant in games when Connor was getting suffocated

 

[Sniper99]

Agreed.

Bad contract.

$21M for the next 8 years for 2 players. One of which (Draisaitl) has only had 1 successful season. This is a fail IMO.

what were you thinking he was going to get?

 

[SK13]

People gleefully ran Eberle out of town based on it.

And I disagreed with it the whole way.

One playoff campaign doesn't make you a playoff god or a playoff failure in perpetuity. Johan Franzen is not a comparable player to Pavel Datsyuk, even though he blew him away in a few playoff series'. Fernando Pisani wasn't better than Ales Hemsky.

 

[McAsuno]

The two groups are really "people who can't know for sure, but some are more optimistic than others".

The WOWY is at the centre of all of this. How can it not concern you that Draisaitl was nowhere near as productive without McDavid, but McDavid was pretty much AS good with or without him?

Draisaitl's excellent playoffs performance which was better than McDavid was definitely a factor though.

I was unsure of how Draisaitl would do without having Hall on his line, but he still managed to play at a high level without him. Sure, he got a lot of production due to playing with Connor last season, but that's not a big problem imo. Players like Hall, Eberle, and Lucic failed on doing so. The real questions remains about Drasaitl is how he'll be able to drive his own line without McDavid next season, and who are those two specific linemates on his wing going to be?

 

[guymez]

Question, do you see Draisaitl as a player who can be expect play at, or better then, the level of last season going forward?

I'm not trying to glib, I'm curious how you see it.

I honestly dont know...that IMO is the problem.
I need to see more. No matter how much I like Draisaitl (and I really do like the player) I cant structure an opinion with out more information.
No matter how much I am a fan of this player the reality is he has only had 1 extremely successful season AND it was playing with or beside the best player on the planet.

I just needed to see more.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Draisaitl dominated a round of the playoffs (including a 5 point game in a blowout).

People seem to forget that the first 4 games of the San Jose series he was MIA. Hell, I remember a few people around here who wanted to bench him in that series before he started getting going.

He was sick.

 

[CupofOil]

Drai just set the market for second contracts for players who have only had one good season (an excellent one in his case).

If Pastrnak and Eichel's agents were smart they would only use Drai's as a comp as it set the floor for theirs and others moving forward. Chia just changed the market for 2nd contracts moving forward, much like Lowe and co did with Hall, Ebs and Nuge.

Chia did set (inflate greatly) the market here but Skinner and Tavares were the trend setting contracts back then, not the Oilers kids.

 

[Tyrolean]

Great but a lot can happen in 8 years. I wish the NHL didn't have guaranteed contracts. Most normal workers don't have contracts and if they under-perform they get fired, Then again sports players live on another reality.

 

[SK13]

I was unsure of how Draisaitl would do without having Hall on his line, but he still managed to play at a high level without him. Sure, he got a lot of production due to playing with Connor last season, but that's not a big problem imo. Players like Hall, Eberle, and Lucic failed on doing so. The real questions remains about Drasaitl is how he'll be able to drive his own line without McDavid next season, and who are those two specific linemates on his wing going to be?

Well, let's take that season with Hall at face value (I think Hall was better at the time, but just for arguments sake).

Draisaitl scored 50 points. 8.5M per? Even on pace for that?

 

[tempest2i]

The important thing here, as always is the case with the Oilers, is to focus on the negative.

 

[nabob]

Read what you want to read, I guess.

I didn't put down either player or say they weren't similar. You were the one that did so by saying Draisaitl has had one good season when that's simply not true, and the only good season you say he had was because he was playing with McDavid.

Pastrnak wasn't exactly playing with crap players in Boston this past season.

Quick edit

Marchand went from a 50 point player to almost winning the Art Ross with Pastrnak as his linemate. Bergeron is an elite defensive center but doesn't come close to comparing to McDavid offensively. I never said he only had his one good season because he was playing with McDavid, but to think it didn't help or inflate his numbers a bit is silly talk.

Not sure why you're so upset that I said Pastrnak's agent should be using Drai's as a comparison.

 

[FlameChampion]

Love Drai. Glad he is signed for 8 years.

I really thought he would sign for 7.5. I think Kunetsov and Johansen contracts bumped his up. I would rather have Drai than Kunetsov or Johansen.

Chiarelli will have to be shrewd in the next few years to manage the cap. He will be in tough.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I honestly dont know...that IMO is the problem.
I need to see more. No matter how much I like Draisaitl (and I really do like the player) I cant structure an opinion with out more information.
No matter how much I am a fan of this player the reality is he has only had 1 successful season AND it was playing with or beside the best player on the planet.

I just needed to see more.

Fair enough, I'm personally confident Draisaitl will be comfortably be worth the money.

I think it was December last year when Draisaitl has his awakening, where he realized he was good enough to impose his will on the game with effort. We'll likely see player improve from last season.

 

[Slats432]

1 season. Thats right....1 season.

So when we signed a guy with less than a season to a 7 year deal at $4.167 a year, I suppose everyone thought that wasn't going to work out?

At this point management is thinking multiple cups. The 50 point first season and last year are pointing to a trend. Do I agree with it? I think he is going to be a top 20 player in the league for a long time. What value is that? As long as they have a good plan for the rest of the roster, should be good.

 

[Spawn]

So what are the future implications of this deal one/two years from now? Barring a major leap in the Canadian dollar, I would imagine that both Maroon and Nuge are goners and both Nurse and Benning are going to get bridge-dealed hard when their deals expire. I see this contract as purely the Current cost of doing business but given dollars tied up in an immovable Lucic plus difficult to move deals for Russell and Sekera, the negative consequences are somewhat inevitable. Its a shame. I love Nuge and the Big Rig and I sincerely hoped we'd have a chance of retaining them.

For next off-season the Oilers will have $61M (+2.5M of potential bonuses to Pulju) committed to 13 players:

Strome, Slepyshev, Caggiula, Nurse, Benning, Brossoit, Pakarinen will be RFAs

Maroon, Letestu, Jokinen will be UFAs

We are going to be in a world of hurt unless the cap takes a significant jump. It's going to be nigh on impossible to even maintain our current roster. Forget about making any improvements over the next few years.

 

[BudBundy]

People gleefully ran Eberle out of town based on it.

Oh please. Spare me. Eberle's production has been steadily eroding for four years, and has been completely unacceptable for two years. He brought zero value if not scoring. The completely ineffective playoff run was just the corn topping on the turd sundae.

 

[nabob]

Chia did set (inflate greatly) the market here but Skinner and Tavares were the trend setting contracts back then, not the Oilers kids.

True. I'll give you Skinner as he is, and was more on the Oilers kids level. JT is an elite player on a different level.

 

[guymez]

The important thing here, as always is the case with the Oilers, is to focus on the negative.

So in your opinion we should all be good little fans (not critically think at all) and just jump up and down with joy?

If that works for you then cool but some on here like to discuss events from both sides and not just put on blinders.

 

[Del Preston]

Quick edit

Marchand went from a 50 point player to almost winning the Art Ross with Pastrnak as his linemate. Bergeron is an elite defensive center but doesn't come close to comparing to McDavid offensively. I never said he only had his one good season because he was playing with McDavid, but to think it didn't help or inflate his numbers a bit is silly talk.

Not sure why you're so upset that I said Pastrnak's agent should be using Drai's as a comparison.

I'm not upset or pretending that playing with McDavid didn't help. I was disagreeing with your comment that Draisaitl had only one good season before his extension.