Speculation: Is Draisaitl expendable?

[Yuke]

Getting rid of Draisaitl to strengthen the 3rd and 4th line, which by the way are not even weak, seems to make little sense. Pretty much every successful team gets rid of expensive third and fourth liners to keep their best players.

How did that end for the Blackhawks

Except that isn't the case this year at all, the bottom 6 is doing fine. That's just a dumb justification for taking pennies on the dollar for one of the best players on the planet, period.

The Oilers don't even have a "minimum paid" bottom 6 and Draisaitl hasn't stopped them from getting good bottom 6ers so I don't even buy this train of logic to begin with.

This year, how about when he signs his new contract.

 

[Soundwave]

How did that end for the Blackhawks
This year, how about when he signs his new contract.

How about you go back to the era where the Oilers had Ryan Smyth as their franchise player and had to beg the Marian Hossas of the world to come here.

Draisaitl is worth the money, without him the Oilers don't win the BOA last year and aren't in the Conference Finals and aren't a legitimate contender and here's the more pertinent point ... McDavid is as good as gone if Draisaitl ever goes too.

There's always contingent of Oiler fans who think they're the smartest person in the room with these kinds of ideas, I remember in 2005 when Chris Pronger didn't get off to the greatest start, there was a small group of people who wanted to quickly dump him too (lol). Mysteriously they didn't have shit to say come playoffs.

 

[bucks_oil]

Kane is actually off the books when McDavids new contract would Kick in, but Campbell is in his last year so pretty much makes that a wash. Currently on the books for the 26/27 season is 24,875,000. still needing 17 players plus 1 goalie, but assuming McDavid and Drai are both signed its 15 + 1 goalie. I also think it is a pretty reasonable assumption that there will be a few more contracts on the books between now and then between 3-8 mil)
Lets assume for now;
1) Bouchard 5 Mil
2) Broberg 5 Mil
3) Holloway 6 Mil
4) McLeod 3 Mil
5) Skinner 5 Mil

That's another 24 mil making it 48,875,000 + 33,000,000 for McDavid and Drai that is 81,875,000 still needing 10 players for the remaining 13.6 Mil. Obviously I have no idea how some of the above players are going to project, or continue to play before signing their next contracts, So my guesses could be off 2-3 Mil either way. Keeping in mind that as the cap goes up they would all want a bigger piece of the pie as well. I think at least one of those contracts if not 2 will be in the 7mil range.

Players can also be moved, but I think it is a reasonable assumption that if the Oilers are trying to win for the next 3 years, they will have at least 5 players around the contracts I assumed signed over that period.

It is doable, but if the GM, whoever that maybe at the time, doesn't believe that McDavid or Drai are going to take a discount to stay, they need to consider moving Drai instead of letting him walk for nothing, or cap strapping the team so they are unable to contend.

My belief is if McDavid hasn't won by the time his contract is up, or at least been to the finals, He is going to question if the organization can build a winning team around him. If he decides they can't I think he walks.
If he decides they can, he then decides how big of a discount he needs to take in order to make it happen. He isn't going to take a discount if he doesn't think it changes management's ability to build a true contender around him.

We should be so lucky if all of those kids earn those contracts. But as you say, you are planning for success/worst case contracts.

My hope is that Drai resigns one year early, with the understanding that if they can't or haven't won it by the time McD is one year from UFA, we blow it up and trade them both to contenders of their choosing (they can shortlist a few so we can still drive value).

I keep in mind, as some solace, that it would be IMPOSSIBLE for another contender to take them both on and give us the type of futures/return we would expect. If they want to win together, the only way to do it is here.

We are banking on that friendship staying strong, lol.

 

[Fourier]

How did that end for the Blackhawks

Between 2009-2010 to 2014-2015 they won three cups. During that period they moved Ladd, Byfugien, Eager, Campbell, Brouwer, Bolland and Frolik mostly to manage the cap. And this is with a massive error by their GM that cost them several players.

This year, how about when he signs his new contract.

The cap is set to go up significantly. Bettman said the NHL revenues this year will be around $6B. At that number the cap should be around $90M. If the NHL has two modest growth years you could easily have a cap in the $92-95M range. If Leon goes to $12.5M half of that raise can come from Neal's buyout coming off the books. Moreover, Ceci's $3.25M deal also comes off the books. The last thing this team should be doing is trading Draisaitl now because he might cost more later.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

So Draisatl scores 5 goals a game but the 3 -4 lines get 6 goals against because they are filled with minimum paid players, whats the point?

can you name me one team that has ever traded top-end talent for "depth" and continued to win?

 

[Slats432]

 

[WaitingForUser]

The Mods haven’t closed this yet??? Cmon boys and girls this is very bad mojo lol

 

[Yuke]

How about you go back to the era where the Oilers had Ryan Smyth as their franchise player and had to beg the Marian Hossas of the world to come here.

Draisaitl is worth the money, without him the Oilers don't win the BOA last year and aren't in the Conference Finals and aren't a legitimate contender and here's the more pertinent point ... McDavid is as good as gone if Draisaitl ever goes too.

There's always contingent of Oiler fans who think they're the smartest person in the room with these kinds of ideas, I remember in 2005 when Chris Pronger didn't get off to the greatest start, there was a small group of people who wanted to quickly dump him too (lol). Mysteriously they didn't have shit to say come playoffs.

It is called an opinion, no need to get butt hurt.
You make it sound like I want to dump Leon, thats not what I wrote. I said if the return was good. So basically two better than average players. Or better, One very good player and a solid better than average player of need (like D first Dman).

 

[Yuke]

can you name me one team that has ever traded top-end talent for "depth" and continued to win?

You trade Leon for more than a depth player.
And sure can name a team. How about the Edmonton Oilers, without Wayne Gretzky

 

[Soundwave]

You trade Leon for more than a depth player.
And sure can name a team. How about the Edmonton Oilers, without Wayne Gretzky

That team had multiple All-Stars without Gretzky and last I checked 4 Cups is better than 1.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

You trade Leon for more than a depth player.
And sure can name a team. How about the Edmonton Oilers, without Wayne Gretzky

so not a single team in the Cap era has ever traded an elite talent for a bunch of 3rd line plugs lol

gee, I wonder why

It is called an opinion, no need to get butt hurt.
You make it sound like I want to dump Leon, thats not what I wrote. I said if the return was good. So basically two better than average players. Or better, One very good player and a solid better than average player of need (like D first Dman).

and you make it sound like elite talent is easy to come by

 

[Yuke]

so not a single team in the Cap era has ever traded an elite talent for a bunch of 3rd line plugs lol

gee, I wonder why


and you make it sound like elite talent is easy to come by

Oh, now you change your question to Cap era.
Horvat, Chychrun, Hall and Erikson are or were available. Eichel was recently traded and the list can go on.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Oh, now you change your question to Cap era.

I'm not changing my question...you named 1 team from 35 years ago..

Horvat, Chychrun, Hall and Erikson are or were available. Eichel was recently traded and the list can go on.

None are the caliber of Draisaitl

and in the case of the Hall, New Jersey got even better because they landed elite talent...heck, even the Isles are better today with Horvat then Beauvilier

good teams simply don't piss away elite talent...fact

 

[Da McBomb]

Gregor just said on his show again that the Oilers have made an offer but he doesn't know what the actual offer is. Maybe Holland told him directly that Oilers have made an offer?

 

[Fourier]

You trade Leon for more than a depth player.
And sure can name a team. How about the Edmonton Oilers, without Wayne Gretzky

They still had multiple HHOF'ers on that team. And even at that the team was worse after the trade by a lot.

 

[Yuke]

They still had multiple HHOF'ers on that team. And even at that the team was worse after the trade by a lot.

Team did get worse but that had a lot to do with $$'s and Messier wanting out.

 

[LTIR]

So.... Is Draisaitl expandable???

 

[Fourier]

Team did get worse but that had a lot to do with $$'s and Messier wanting out.

No. The team got worse because they lost Gretzky. Period!!! Messier leaving accelerated this but it probably would not even have happened if Gretzky had stayed and if Pocklington had not been using the team to prop up his house of cards.

In no world would Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, and three draft picks going to make the team better after losing Gretzky. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one and assume that you are old enough to remember those days. If so it should be 100% clear to you that this was a brutal "trade" for the Oilers. It damaged not only the on-ice product but also the team's relationship with the community.

 

[Yuke]

No. The team got worse because they lost Gretzky. Period!!! Messier leaving accelerated this but it probably would not even have happened if Gretzky had stayed and if Pocklington had not been using the team to prop up his house of cards.

In no world would Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, and three draft picks going to make the team better after losing Gretzky. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one and assume that you are old enough to remember those days. If so it should be 100% clear to you that this was a brutal "trade" for the Oilers. It damaged not only the on-ice product but also the team's relationship with the community.

Period. They won a cup after. Maybe a comma.
FYI. Leon is no where comparable to Wayne Gretzky.

 

[Fourier]

Period. They won a cup after. Maybe a comma.
FYI. Leon is no where comparable to Wayne Gretzky.

Find me one person on here who thinks that the Oilers were better for trading Gretzky. As a season ticket holder through the 80's I don't know anyone who feels that way.

And by the way, Gretzky was your example.

 

[Anarchism]

IF we sell Draisaitl this summer we better get a good haul ....even Holland lose his job if he screws it up!

 

[Yuke]

Find me one person on here who thinks that the Oilers were better for trading Gretzky. As a season ticket holder through the 80's I don't know anyone who feels that way.

And by the way, Gretzky was your example.

Didn't say better, I said they won a cup.
The issue wasn't selling Gretzky, the issue was who they got back. Not one real proven player, just prospects.
Not sure I care what people on here say, they gave me a hard time last summer when I said Bouchard wasn’t good defensively and wasn't a top Dman. I got gang jumped for that. Now those same people want trade him.
Ps. I didn't compare the 2, I actually gave you an example of an elite player who was traded from a team that won the cup after ( after being challenged that it never has happened).

 

[Cypress]

Draisatl is one of the best players in the league, so no, and I'm ashamed it's even being asked. Some flames fans on here just wanting to foment unrest; gtfo.

 

[Stoneman89]

Didn't say better, I said they won a cup.
The issue wasn't selling Gretzky, the issue was who they got back. Not one real proven player, just prospects.
Not sure I care what people on here say, they gave me a hard time last summer when I said Bouchard wasn’t good defensively and wasn't a top Dman. I got gang jumped for that. Now those same people want trade him.
Ps. I didn't compare the 2, I actually gave you an example of an elite player who was traded from a team that won the cup after ( after being challenged that it never has happened).

In 90 some % of all trades, the team that gets the best player usually wins the trade. In some cases, massively. Oilers were doomed from the start with the Gretzky trade. Same with the Messier trade. And the Coffey trade. And the Pronger trade. I could go on. If you don't have to, you never trade the top players. You build around them. And they won that 1990 cup on the fumes of the players we had left over, and a goaltending performance for the ages. We arguably win another 3-4 cups if they retain Gretzky.

The minute they trade Draisaitl, they're looking for another guy just like him to replace him with.

 

[Satire]

The Mods haven’t closed this yet??? Cmon boys and girls this is very bad mojo lol

Agreed. This is the hottest of takes. Drai has the biggest sweetheart contract on the team right now. Let alone what he brings on the ice