Daniel Nugent-Beaumann for The Athletic has already written an article about Leon Dreisaitl and why the Oilers shouldn't trade him.

Should not.

And that was a week ago. There is no extension in place. I can tell you this. If in Toronto... Now, the Oilers did just go to the finals and lose by a goal. Yes. So I can understand this. The thing that's not really being talked about in Edmonton is Leon Dreisaitl. And is he going to resign? Because Because to me, there's a domino effect. As Jesse mentioned, he alluded to the Evan Bouchard news. Jesse, what's the Evan Bouchard news as of this morning?

Daniel Nugent-Beaumann tweeted this morning, I'm told it's unlikely the oilers in Evan Bouchard, RFA in 2025, with Arb rights, UEFA in 2027, will discuss an extension this summer. Edmonton has more pressing things to address. The GM, dry settle in McDavid. Bouchard, high likelihood of building off Norris fifth place and star in the playoff. So no Bouchard extension coming this summer is the tweet.

So the question is, when drysaddle and McDavid get together at a cottage somewhere and they discuss, they'll likely make this decision together. Because I think if Leon is going to sign, he wants to know that Connor is going to be there. And if Connor is going to sign, I think he wants to know that Leon is going to be there.

You want advice from a Leef fan? Just do it over text.

Don't do it at the cottage.

No, the Leefs had lots of cottage things. It didn't do it.

Well, that was about performance. The oilers don't have to worry about that. They performed.

No, they don't have to worry about that. I love Gary's NHL. Punish the shit out of the oilers for being good. They're not going to be able to afford this team. Yeah. Break up Connor McDavid and Leon. Yeah.

Well, I don't know if that's what it's going to be. I think the oilers would find a way to afford them. They're going to try. Leon has, of the seven-year deal, he's put 500-point seasons on the board at eight and a half million bucks. Unbelievable. It's the best contract Peter Schirelli ever signed.

Oh, by a country mile.

Except for the McDavid contract. Well, although the McDavid contract is a lot higher. I think value-wise, maybe it's Leon. My point is this. You've got a lot riding on this next season. If you are an oilers fan or an oilers player, I think you got to look at this like, it really doesn't matter what happens in July next year. The only thing that matters is the next 10 or 11 months, go back to the Cup, do what the Panthers did, and win it.

One thing that's special about the offseason is when people who aren't from North America go back to other countries. Oh, I love this. They have quotes, and they give it to the local other country media.

What did Nikita Kutnerow say this time?

This time, it's Leon Dreisetel's agent who spoke. Leon Dreisetel's agent- Mike Lut? Yuri Poner told EIS Hockey, that's E-I-S, It's hockey news in Germany that the ball is in the Oiler's court. There's no rush yet, but either it happens quickly, i. E. By the end of August, or it doesn't work out at all, Poehner said. It will also become clear whether Edminton really wants him or not. Poehner believes dry cycle has been playing at least 30% below his value for several seasons. Coming off of a deal that earned him just 8.5 million against the salary cap, it's obvious why he may think that.

Yeah, no, for sure he has. So the question will be, are the oilers willing to go to 13?

Shout out nick Corwatt of Breakaway, who on that Sports as illustrated with the quote there.

Are we sure that's a real person? Why? No. Because they write AI articles. That's for sure.

Oh, my gosh.

I think... Matthews is 13 and a half. How if you're Leon- Thirteen a quarter. Thirteen a quarter. How if you're Leon drys out of Dinaiko, I'm worth more than that. How do you not? And you've given the discount. You've already given the hometown discount. You now need to go and get, what is it, 13 by 8, 14 by 7 if he goes to free agency?

Here's what I'm trying to figure out. 8.5... Wait, no, I don't think I did that right. Yeah, here we go. 8.5 times 0.3. No, you're doing this wrong, Steve. I'm going to do it right this time. He's been playing 30% below his value. 8.5 times 1.3. Math. $11,050,000. So that's what he thinks he should have been making for the past half decade.

And now the cap's going up.

Yeah.

Yeah, man.

What does an eight-year extension for dryside all look like? That's massive.

I just...

Does he pass McDavid? Yes.

Oh, yeah. How doesn't he at least be the second-highest paid player in the league?

It's probably going to be 108 to $110 million this extension. Man. I think the oilers do it in a heartbeat. I think his agent is full of patooty there. Oh, yeah? Full of patutes. All right? I agree. What do you mean it's in the oilers' court? What are you talking about? What are you actually talking about? You know the oilers- Well, simply give us all the money. Absolutely give him that money. You know it's absolutely not in the oilers' court. It's absolutely not in the oilers' court. Who holds all the cards here, guys?

Leon, but that's why he's saying it's in the oilers' court. It's not, though. No, no. Here's what I think is being said.

It's in the oilers' court to acquiesce to all of his demands.

Okay, yes.

Yes. I feel like- Jesse nailed it. That's what he's saying. That's 100%. I think he's correct.

Here's why I think a negotiation with Leon Dreisuttle is actually very easy. And Connor McDavid. Most players, there's a back and forth. Sure. And you got to negotiate. And you got to argue. There's no arguing here.

No.

I'm sorry. What could I have done better over the past half decade? What could I have done better over the course of this deal? Oh, fucking nothing, literally nothing? Give me everything. What could the oilers possibly say besides pretty please?

I think that's exactly what I'm saying.

That's all they can do, which Leon and his agent have obviously already told them, no. Well, no, I'm not saying-We're simply not doing that.

If you believe for a second that these two haven't talked, you're out of your mind. They've absolutely talked. Jeff Jackson has absolutely talked to Leon's agent. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. If he hadn't, he should be fired. That's what it should be.

Well, careful, Adam. You're I'm going to get blocked on Twitter by him, too.

What I'm going to look at here is I'm going to look at this. This, to me, is not a deal about money. This is a deal about geography. Do you want to be here or do you not? The oilers are going to give these two players, McDavid and Dreisaitl, blank check. What do you want?

Austin is the highest paid player, right? Start next season, 13, 2, 5. And that won't last. What do they come at? 14?

Oh, my God. I think Leon is 13 and a half, and I think Connor is Can you win with two players making 14? You can't win with four, but you can almost win with two.

Yeah? I think you can. Because the players are Leon and McDavid, you probably can.

I also look at it like this, guys. Okay, so if their percentage of cap is relatively similar, in Connor's case more than Leon, because Connor makes a lot of money versus what Leon makes, you can find guys like... Nuj is a draft pick, but you can find Evander Can. You can find Jeff Skinner. You You can find Adam, Henrique. You can find all of these guys that come in and want to play with them.

You got to send a first-round pick to get rid of Dernal Ners at that point.

Probably.

You have to get rid of that contract. I don't think that's enough. Dude, he makes nine and a quarter.

That's a lot. You need to find the next tanker.

What is his... Okay, so we talked about Leon. He should have been making 11 this whole time. According to him, he was making eight and a half. What should Nurse be at?

Five or six. Nurse is a good six million dollar defender.

I think he's good. It might be high. That might be spicy high, but that's like UFA number. Matt Roy was six. Oh, yeah. Honestly, on my team, I'd rather take Matt Roy.

I would have Darnell Ners. Would you have Darnell?

Really? Oh, I don't know. Every day, though. I don't know. And what's Jake Chickrenworth?

I think if Darnell Ners was a free agent this offseason, he would sign the highest deal out of any defenseman.

Really? Yeah.

You know what?

You think about the open market Darnell Ners?

Yeah, 100%. I think actually Brandon Montero is a good one. I don't think so. That's a good one.

I think Montour. That's why I think Darnell is a six.

What's Montero?

7.125 or something.

Okay, yeah. I think he'd come in over a nurse.

Your reaction's so funny.

Yeah, no.

You're like, No way.

Oh, that's a good one. That was a good answer. I'd take Montour every day over Darnell. I like Darnell Nurse. I think he's just slightly overpaid.

Because I think he's coming in at probably seven on the open market.

A lot of people are not going to like that you said that, but you're totally right.

You know what? You're totally right. You know what? Brett Pesce, too. What did he come at?

He came at five. At five? And Bradley Shay was seven, wasn't he? Shay, yeah. But Bradley Shay does everything. He is everywhere. He can kill penalties. He can run a power play. He's amazing.

So free agent defenseman, it'd probably be Montour, Shay, Nurse. Yes. There we go.

That's what I would think.

Again, still way overpaid. Overpaid by probably in the neighborhood of three mil, two and a half mil. For how many more years? Six, five, six.

Yeah, his contract goes on forever.

Yeah, man.

But the point was the Lyon and the McDavid deals. I think at 14, and we assume 13 and a half.

But it's like with the Leifs in their core, there's no room for fat. Okay, you got to find ridiculous deals. That Nuge deal is great.

It's a great contract.

The Hyman deal is great. The Capit that they have Echholm at is great. For an extra year. What they have Bouchard at is great.

Bouchard is going to be tough.

Well, here's what's probably going to happen with him is they bridge him, knowing that they're just going to get murdered on the next deal.

Bouchard is going to PK Suban, though.

That's exactly what it is.

Bouchard is going to sign for five mil for one year and then win the Norris and be a $12 million defenseman.

Actually, the parallels are crazy. Right-handed and all. No, the parallels are crazy with him. That's probably the move, though.

What else can you do?

It comes back to this. You got to keep that window open as long as you have those two guys.

The Bouchard is not going to talk contract because the oilers are not going to talk contract until they know McDavid, dry Saddle. You can make the argument that if dry saddle or McDavid or both leave, Bouchard is now worth more to the oilers. Who's he going to give the fuck to? Well, it doesn't matter. He becomes one of the best players on the team. I think That's where it's like, Okay, well, now my market value just went up because I matter more to this team now. I look at this and I think I'm not ever... Again, this will go back to Pittsburgh, where it's like, I'm not trying to take anything away from the oilers here, but this is a very real thing that could happen. I think this is geography. Do you want to live in Edmonton at the end of this deal for 15, 20 years, or do you not? It's not that Edmonton is a bad place to live. Far from it. There's over a million people there. They all seem to like it. But the reality of the situation is in the NHL, there are markets that are hot markets for free agency.

Edmonton was this year because they went to the finals. But Edmonton has had a devil of a time trying to sign free agents in the past. This is going to come down to, do you want to live in Edmonton or not? Do you want to be an oiler or not?

To their credit, to Jeff Jackson's, well, I guess Ken Holland's credit because he's the one who built this roster, human beings sign to the Edmonton oilers' NHL roster the season that Connor McDavid becomes a free agent. Human beings, five. That's amazing. That's the entire roster. The rest of the roster is entirely-Wow. That's amazing. That offseason, McDavid is the UFA. That means you can work this money around for the in the next two years, however you want. Knowing that that 14, $15 million contract is coming, you can build this roster for that. I think the owners have done a wonderful job in building this team besides a couple of contracts, and that because you can get to that stage where McDavid is going to be looking at his next big deal and you have so much room to work, that they'll be set up pretty pretty.