Connor McDavid and the Kris Knoblauch-led Edmonton Oilers were so close to joining the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs in what could have been the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup Final history. Unfortunately, Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers were the ones who got to hoist Lord Stanley after a 2-1 Game 7 victory. Now, their front office is forced to make very hard decisions. One of them involves a great center in Leon Draisaitl.
The Oilers can choose to run it back and surround Connor McDavid with the same squad that got him to the Stanley Cup Final. They also have a choice to acquire new assets and let go of very hefty contracts in their rotation. Leon Draisaitl will be a big name in these conversations because he is due for an extension quite soon. The Oilers center did outline his intention to stay with this squad, via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic.
“It’s going to take time to figure out what I want and what the Oilers want. I love being an Oiler more than anything,” Draisaitl declared.
The Oilers have no intention of just letting Leon Draisaitl walk in next year's free agency. They will have to extend him or trade him away for some assets in the coming season. Moreover, the financial situation does not get easier for the Oilers after their Stanley Cup Final loss to the Panthers. Connor McDavid is bound to sign a new extension anytime soon and they have to be ready to match offers.
Those two tough front-office decisions need to be made in the next months before the 2024-25 season commences. Otherwise, the Oilers might see these two walk for practically nothing. This would force them into a very hard rebuild which no one would want just after a year removed from being two goals away from winning the Stanley Cup Final.
Oilers head honcho drops a lot of praise for Leon Draisaitl
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was not at all representative of Draisaitl's production for the Oilers. He constantly helps McDavid and the rest of his squad in ways more than one. One of the best people to acknowledge that is head coach Kris Knoblauch, via Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
“Leon has done tremendously well. You look at the superstars around the league and who they get to play with. You look at Kucherov has Point, MacKinnon has Rantanen, and Tavares or Matthews with Marner and Nylander. Leon doesn’t get enough credit for what he accomplishes without playing with another star. Most superstars have another star to play with, and Leon gets to play with Connor sometimes, but not always,” Knoblauch said.
All Draisaitl could produce in their final seven games against the Oilers were three assists. This did help McDavid and the rest of the squad heat up but it was just not his normal production. There is so much in store for him if he chooses to stay in Knoblauch's squad. Obviously, the numbers in those checks will matter. Hopefully, it's big enough for him to believe in the Oilers once more.
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