Oilers get warning on Leon Draisaitl trade
· Yahoo Sports
Oilers get warning on Leon Draisaitl trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
All the focus with the Edmonton Oilers is on Connor McDavid. Could the captain leave town with a trade in the next two years? Or will he jump ship once he reaches free agency after two more seasons?
Visit somethingsdifferent.biz for more information.
That may be ignoring Leon Draisaitl, though.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun wrote on X on Saturday to point out that Draisaitl, too, could eventually be fed up with what's happening in Edmonton.
"It’s interesting that our only focus seems to be on what 97 will decide to do, whether that’s this summer or next or whenever," LeBrun wrote. "And it’s obviously because he only has a 2-year deal. But I mean, nothing is stopping Leon Draisaitl from asking out one day if that’s what he wanted. Not saying he will nor do I have any feeling he will. But just because he signed an 8-year deal doesn’t mean he will necessarily play it out all in Edmonton."
MORE: Sabres' storybook season is real, and Stanley Cup dreams are valid
It's definitely all about the contract as far as the public view goes. If McDavid was on a longer deal, things would likely feel less urgent.
But it actually might be that contract that makes things most notable here for Draisaitl. Would he want to stick around two years from now, if that's when McDavid ends up leaving?
If the Oilers haven't won a Stanley Cup by then, and McDavid is leaving, it seems like it'd be tough for Draisaitl to want to stay.
MORE: Sidney Crosby is a bad omen for Connor McDavid
The German star won't get the luxury of choosing to leave in free agency anytime soon. But in this era, trade requests usually lead to trades getting done.
Other teams would surely have interest in trading for Draisaitl if he ever became available. So it's something that will bear watching in the years ahead, as well.