Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have yet to reach an agreement in negotiations. However, with the latest events around the NHL, the Oilers could revalue the contract handed to Leon Draisaitl, or so a report around the league hints.
After a somewhat quiet offseason in the NHL, news within the Minnesota Wild sent waves across the league. Kirill Kaprizov reportedly turned down a record-breaking extension, which only upped the pressure for McDavid and the Oilers.
However, on a similar note, a report hints that all the drama surrounding McDavid’s extension and the deal Kaprizov rejected could further elevate the value of Draisaitl’s contract, which is the highest in the NHL.
“Having recently signed a $14 million-per-season extension with the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl’s deal, once considered full value, is starting to look less like a massive commitment and more like a masterstroke in cap management,” as Jim Parsons stated on The Hockey News.
Aged like fine wine
Not many opposed Draisaitl’s eight-year, $112M contract when it was signed last September. However, if there were any skeptics left, they most likely changed their minds after the latest developments. If Kaprizov truly declined an offer of $16M a year, then Draisaitl’s deal is almost a bargain.
Signed to an average annual value of $14 million, the German star has proved to be more decisive for the Oilers than Kaprizov. Thus, Edmonton can only be glad it got the extension done for so much term before the NHL’s cap increased and prices went up. That is being made clear by Kaprizov’s tug-of-war with the Wild’s brass.
Plan B
Moreover, the Oilers now have a safety net in case everything goes south with McDavid. It’s unlikely, indeed, but it’s never out of the realm of possibilities. Not for as long as the captain is unsigned through the 2025-26 NHL season.
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If the doomsday scenario actually plays out, the Oilers will still have another star to resort to. It’s far from ideal, and quite honestly it would be tragic for Edmonton, but at least there will be an alternative plan. Of course, it’s tough to say how much Draisaitl would want to stay in Edmonton without his sidekick, but at least the Oilers will hold his signing rights for the next eight years.