Cashing in
Oilers bet on Draisaitl’s star power, with or without McDavid
In securing his long-term rights, the Oilers are betting on Draisaitl, a restricted free agent and one of only seven German NHLers last season, to thrive with or without McDavid, the reigning winner of the Art Ross and Hart trophies and Ted Lindsay Award.
The third-overall pick of the 2014 draft, Draisaitl stands to own the 10th highest cap hit in hockey next year - equal to Lightning captain and two-time Rocket Richard trophy winner Steven Stamkos. Draisaitl’s second NHL deal slightly exceeds recent eightyear pacts handed out to 25-year-old Predators centre Ryan Johansen ($8 million cap hit) and 25-year-old Capitals pivot Evgeny Kuznetsov ($7.8 million cap hit).
Both were signing their third NHL deals, however, and are slightly older than Draisaitl, who won’t turn 22 until October 27.
Draisaitl, a natural centre, slid to right wing alongside McDavid at the start of December and went on to notch 60 points in 58 games - good for sixth in the NHL over that span. In question now and moving forward is whether the Oilers keep the two franchise studs together and have them wreak havoc as a duo, or split them apart for increased depth. McLellan went in the latter direction midway through a second-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, and it worked effectively. Draisaitl, centring a second unit, scored once in a Game 5 overtime loss and then exploded for a hat trick and five points in a 7-1 Game 6 thrashing.
He ultimately finished as the Oilers leading playoff scorer, besting McDavid (nine points), who was mostly thwarted in a matchup with feisty American pivot Ryan Kesler.
“It’s interesting, there will be a lot of talk about separating those two now,” McLellan said after Draisaitl’s loud Game 6 before the Oilers fell to the Ducks in Game 7. “But productionwise Connor and Leon were the two best players together from the time we put them together ‘til the end of the year. It’s hard to argue with that.”