Elliotte Friedman appeared on The Jeff Marek Show and said the following about Leon Draisaitl and his thought process with the Edmonton Oilers: “Sooner or later you start to look at the long-term picture, like uh oh, Draisaitl, what’s he thinking right now? I don’t believe you’re there yet, but it’s there, it’s not too far into the horizon if this doesn’t turn around.” Seeing that next year is Draisaitl’s last season of his current deal, it’s a question the organization is probably concerned about.
For some fans, the way Draisaitl has approached this season — frustrated, moody, and with a haphazard approach to playing defense at times — those also frustrated fans might say, ‘Who cares, trade him’, but the reality is that losing Draisaitl would be devastating. He’s their second-best player and at times their top star. He’s a point producer, power play whiz, goal-scoring machine, and a leader. He’s not a guy you can replace via trade, and if he leaves, there’s a good chance Connor McDavid will follow.
Marek said the big consequence is that the Oilers “start to lose the team.”. He hinted that players would start to consider other options. Friedman agreed that the Oilers don’t have the luxury of thinking just about wins and losses.
If the Oilers continue to struggle, everyone will be second guessing themselves. Why Draisaitl matters so much is because he’s the first player in a spot to make a big decision and dictate how this goes for years to come in Edmonton. If he’s the first domino to fall and players leave after him, the Oilers could be looking at another decade of darkness if the team assembled to make the trade or get a return for him in any deal can’t successfully navigate those waters.
Everyone Is Frustrated in Edmonton, Particularly Draisaitl
The issue in Edmonton might be that the Oilers are built as a run-and-gun team, but is asking its players to run a different defensive system and try to win games by not outscoring their opponents. It led to a question from Mark Spector of Sportsnet to McDavid, asking if the Oilers are better off trying to win 7-5 and then that opened a war of words on social media between Spector and former NHL referee Tim Peel.
It’s an ugly situation in Edmonton. The team seems to not know it’s identity.
The hope is that what the Oilers are going through right now is temporary. McDavid and Draisaitl need to usher this team out of the dumps and find a way to pull some wins together. They are the leadership core of the organization and as they go, the Oilers go. Understandably, when things don’t go well, they are looked at as part of the reason.
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Draisaitl and McDavid are both annoyed with the constant questions about why this team is losing games so frequently. Draisaitl wears it on his sleeve more, particularly in games. He’s prone to taking bad penalites, making costly mistakes out of frustration and his decision-making often leads to goals against. If he keeps playing with such irritation in his game, there will come a time that fans might ask if the trade-off is worth it.
Draisaitl Is On the Verge of a Massive Deal
Part of why the Oilers and the fans don’t get too worked up about Draisaitl’s inconsistent play and some of his behavioral issues is because he’s on such a team-friendly contract. At $8.5 million per season, even if he’s playing at 50% of what he’s capable of, he’s still offering value at that number. But, at the end of next season, he’ll be looking for $12-$13 million per season. Edmonton can’t and shouldn’t give that to him if this is this season’s results are any indication of what’s to come.
And, from Draisaiti’s perspective, if a team that is “Cup or Bust” can’t even make the playoffs, he may wonder what he’s even doing here. The team fired the coach, they’ve brought in a new CEO, who will ultimately hire a new GM and all of these pieces seem to be linked to McDavid. If the Oilers are becoming a newer version of the Boys on the Bus, this may not be the team to hitch your long-term wagon to.
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Bye Drai
November 22, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Trading Drai at the trade deadline would mx his value. Teams love to overpay and he has the most impressive playoff results of any active player. Use the peices to build around McDavid. The Mcdrai Era has run its course.