After losing both Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to the St. Louis Blues via offer sheets, the Edmonton Oilers still are trying to come to terms with one of their most important players in a situation they’d rather not have drag on into the season.
Leon Draisaitl‘s contract situation looms large for several reasons, not least of which is that he’s one of the league’s top players, the NHL’s second-highest point-getter over the past nine years and is less than 12 months away from becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency. But also, Draisaitl’s contract is being worked on at the same time as Evan Bouchard’s, who is RFA eligible next summer.
Whenever a deal is done, the expectation is that Draisaitl will become the NHL’s new highest-paid player by cap hit, surpassing Auston Matthews’ $13.25 million AAV. That’s just the economic reality as the cap rises to $88 million this season and an anticipated $92 million (at least) in 2025-26.
“I think in the end the number is going to end up being probably one that starts with a 14, if not just a shade under it,” Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said Wednesday on SN960 The FAN’s Big Show. “But I think if the Oilers were thinking heading into this process that he’s going to take a significant team-friendly discount, I think the early indications are that’s not the case.”
If Draisaitl does set a new league high bar as expected, it will probably be short-lived, as Connor McDavid will be able to extend as of July 1 of next summer. That will also have to be something the Oilers consider as they seek to balance the need to keep this core together, while keeping as much flexibility as possible to fill out around them.
But for now, with training camp about three weeks away, the team is focusing on a deal with Draisaitl. The hope would be to conclude this sooner rather than later, and not have such an important contract be a storyline into the season, as was the case with Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24.
“I think it’s definitely been a little slower going than I had envisioned, probably even the Oilers,” Seravalli said. “I think what they’re shooting for is to get something done before the start of training camp and as of right now, I think that certainly remains on the table.”
IS JEREMY SWAYMAN REALLY LOOKING FOR $10 MILLION?
A slew of RFAs remain unsigned for the coming season, from Seth Jarvis in Carolina to Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider in Detroit and more. In Boston all eyes — and some panic perhaps — are on Jeremy Swayman, the team’s now undisputed No. 1 netminder after Linus Ullmark was traded to Ottawa over the summer and replaced by Joonas Korpisalo.
Speaking on the Swayman situation, Seravalli cast doubt on one report in Boston that the netminder was seeking $10 million, putting a more palatable number on the table instead. However, he indicated the two sides are still grinding away and might yet be some distance apart.
“I think he was somewhere in the mid-8s earlier this summer and I think the Bruins were in the low 6s,” Seravalli said. “I think that’s a pretty sizeable gap that hasn’t been bridged yet and with the trade of Linus Ullmark, it’s obvious that Swayman is such a big part of what the Bruins’ future looks like and the stability of their core because the goaltending has been the backbone of that team. But if you have a philosophical difference on what you think your goaltender should make, and if you thought that with the numbers he’s posted that he was going to be in that range, I can understand why there’s been a disconnect there. He’s been excellent.”
As for the other unsigned RFAs, Seravalli indicated he was least concerned about the Hurricanes and Jarvis finding a way to an extension, noting that both team and player want a long-term deal and have been in the same ballpark for the money. Seravalli estimated it would be a seven- or eight-year contract “somewhere in the mid-7s” for an AAV.
WHAT’S UP WITH THATCHER DEMKO?
One of the bigger mysteries right now is the status of Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko. Will he be ready for the start of training camp and, if not, how quickly he’ll be able to return to action?
Coming off another knee injury, Demko played the final two regular season games for Vancouver, then started just one playoff game before being sidelined again. Speaking after Vancouver’s Game 7 loss to Edmonton in Round 2, Demko indicated that he was targeting a return to action in the conference final.
Now with training camp around the corner, his status is once again uncertain.
“Specifics have been really hard to come by,” Seravalli explained. “That injury he sustained back in the playoffs was really rare and unusual and I think doctors at the time were a bit perplexed on what to do to treat it. They weren’t overly cautious or concerned at the time, thinking that rest would be a big part of healing that injury, but the fact we’re in late August and we’re hearing reports Demko might not be ready for camp or for the start of the season, I think you’d have to be concerned at this point given the length of time it’s been since that injury.”
Last week, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre wrote that while the Canucks are looking over the goaltending market to upgrade their depth at the position, even if only on a professional tryout contract, “the team still expects Demko to be ready for the season-opener on Oct. 9.”
