Could Leon Draisaitl Be Traded If He Is Not Extended?

The Edmonton Oilers have given a lot of folks material for the rest of the summer and into next year until Leon Draisaitl signs an extension. The question is if he signs an extension with the Oilers.

NHL Rumors: A Leon Draisaitl Contract Extension Will Take Time

TSN Hockey Insider Chirs Johnston reported the Oilers could be open to moving Leon Draisaitl if he does not sign an extension. However, the Oilers may not be afraid to walk him into the final year of his deal as they were one win away from winning the Stanley Cup.

While contract negotiations have not started yet, Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson wants a GM in place first. While he does not have a timetable for the talks, he does not want them to linger.

However, until the deal is done, there will be speculation about Draisaitl’s future in Edmonton.

TSN Edmonton Reporter Ryan Rishaug and TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button discuss whether Leon Draisaitl will be moved and if he will be tied to another superstar on the team. This comes from their discussion about Draisaitl’s extension with the team.

NHL Rumors: Will Leon Draisaitl Stay in Edmonton Long-Term?

** NHLRumors.com transcriptions

Ryan Rishaug: “Okay, well, you’re jumping head to number two. Let’s get there. So this would be the logic if Leon Draisaitl isn’t ready to sign a long-term extension. And the Edmonton Oilers walked him into the final year of his deal they risk losing that asset for nothing other than the cap space they would gain by him being gone, right. We’ve seen other organizations do this.

It happened with the Islanders and John Tavares. The idea that an asset that valuable could exit the organization without a plethora of riches in return that can be catastrophic for an organization Craig. The other element here is that Connor McDavid’s negotiation starts at the end of next season and Leon Draisaitl has just left when the window has just opened to talk to Connor McDavid, that’s not good either.

So the conversation is if Draisaitl is not going to sign, do you make the move, bring in the assets in return and say look McDavid, here’s your fancy new left-wing or here’s your top three defensemen, so that McDavid has a year of whatever this is gonna look like under his belt before he has to make the decision. Now there’s a needle that needs to be thread here, Craig, it’s not simple.”

NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers, Leon Draisaitl, and the Boston Bruins

Craig Button: “Those are multiple tasks that have to be considered. They have to be. There’s no way you just dismiss them. So certainly, that is something that you have to look at, you know the bottom line is when you look at Connor McDavid, you’re trying to get a feel for what could the number look like. It’s in the player’s best interest to wait to see how the salary cap shakes out. And now Leon has that ability. But you’re right. The difficult thing is, is how do you get commensurate value for a player of Leon Draisaitl?”

Rishaug: You have him sign an extension with that team. You say who are you willing to do a deal with? Allah Matt? Tkachuk out of Calgary. Who are you willing to do a deal with you sign a seven-year extension and you get the the Weegars and the Huberdeau’s that type of thing in return, that’s how.”

Button: “And you’re right that becomes part of the calculation. Here’s my approach to Mr. Leon Draisaitl. Mr. John Tavares left the New York Islanders, he hasn’t won anything hasn’t come close. The Oilers came closer than Tavares did in Toronto. So be careful about what you wish for going somewhere else; I have the best situation situation here.

NHL Rumors: A Leon Draisaitl Contract Extension Will Take Time

Rishaug: “there’s this idea that McDavid and Draisaitl really good buddies, we know that off the ice that you know maybe there’ll be sitting around and they’ll cook something together. Hey, if you stay all stay, are you going to stay? My understanding is this is going to be treated very separately. It’s almost unfair to Connor McDavid to be saying you know, you need some sort of blood oath that he agrees to stay too before you make your decision if you’re Leon Draisaitl. These are big life decisions Craig and fair to say they need to be made separately.”

Button: “Absolutely fair to individual players that are going to set the marketplace in a lot of different ways or for the rest of the players in the league. And as unique as Connor McDavid is Leon Draisaitl is unique in its own way and setting a market. You know, trying to tie each other together is nice, but I think they have to look at this in terms of what is the best value for me going forward.”

Again, Leon Draisaitl will be a story until he is not a story this off-season.