When Leon Draisaitl signed his record-setting contract extension this summer, it was widely agreed upon to be a massive win for the Edmonton Oilers. Locking up one of the best players in the game to a long-term deal gives the Oilers a chance to potentially create a dynasty that can compete for Stanley Cups for years to come.
Of course, the deal had many other ramifications across the NHL.
With last night’s blockbuster deal between the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Chicago Blackhawks, it’s abundantly clear that Draisaitl’s contract set a new standard for star players in the NHL. And with that, the Oilers inadvertently helped dismantle one of their biggest Western Conference rivals.
Double dose of benefits
Over the last few weeks, it had been widely reported that as teams have started to negotiate with some of their top players needing new contracts, Draisaitl’s eight-year, $14M a season deal had moved the needle significantly. Despite some teams setting internal limits for their star players, the Oilers’ ability to extend Draisiatl before Connor McDavid needed a new extension allowed for them to create a new market.
Mikko Rantanen, a pending UFA and involved in last night’s massive trade, is a player who can sit side by side with Draisaitl regarding point production. His apparent ask was $14M a season, which exceeded his teammate Nathan MacKinnon’s previous record-setting $12.6M. The Avalanche were not comfortable in getting Rantanen to that number, which resulted in the blockbuster deal.
Despite the Avalanche picking up Martin Necas in the deal, you can’t simply replace Rantanten’s production and impact on the team. Imagine if the Oilers had traded Draisaitl in a similar deal had he not wanted to sign a new contract, the results would have been catastrophic for Edmonton. Instead, they now get to watch one of the West’s perennial contenders ice a weaker roster as a result (for now).
By engaging in somewhat of a salary cap arbitrage, the Oilers were able to comfortably meet Draisaitl’s contract requests while simultaneously creating a headache for other teams looking to sign their star players. There could be cap trouble down the road for the Oilers, but with it increasing that pain will ease slightly.
For now, the threat of facing the Avalanche somewhere in the postseason just got a little easier to stomach.
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