Been a busy week and it's only Tuesday. Here are a few random thoughts I have on some of the latest Oilers news.

DRAISAITL CONTRACT IS GOOD VALUE

The Edmonton Oilers locking up Leon Draisaitl for the remainder of his best years and likely making him a lifetime Oiler is great news for the fanbase and the organization but there are a select number of individuals who believe this to be some kind of massive overpay.

Draisaitl makes 14 million and is now the highest paid player in the NHL but this has everything to do with what the cap looks like at the time of signing the deal. Right now, the best players in the NHL are making roughly 15-16% of a team's total cap hit. The cap next season is expected to go up to roughly 92 million, meaning Draisaitl will be making 15.2% of the Oilers total cap. Over the next season we will see other players start to get paid in and around this number; Mikko Rantanen is one such player.

Draisaitl did not take a discount on his deal but he is being paid fairly and in accordance with what other elite players make. After years of being on a value contract the elite German forward is earning what he deserves.

YOUNG STARS EXCITING AGAIN

Oilers fans over the years were treated to some great Young Stars rosters with the likes of McDavid, RNH, Yakupov, Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi, and others. For many fans, this was their first chance to watch these players and see what kind of game they play. Recent cancellations due to COVID and a weak prospect system has dampened interest for this tournament in Oil Country.

This year there may not be a true elite player in the mix for Edmonton but the likes of Sam O'Reilly, Matt Savoie, Matvey Petrov, Beau Akey, and Max Wanner are players that could become core members of the Edmonton Oilers in the next 2-3 years, potentially earlier for some. I specifically will be keeping an eye on Matt Savoie and Beau Akey, the latter of the two is coming back from shoulder surgery.

LINEUPS... sorta

Though training camp has not kicked off in earnest yet, we did get a sight of Leon Draisaitl skating on a line with Jeff Skinner and Victor Arvidsson. We will likely see many combinations over the coming weeks but we expected Draisaitl to get the first look with two legitimate top six forwards and so far that seems to be the case.

PTOS

There have been rumblings on a few PTO potentials for the Edmonton Oilers; Barrie, Giordano, Schultz, and Shattenkirk being the most discussed. Barrie has officially signed a PTO with the Calgary Flames and Schultz reportedly was offered a PTO but is waiting to see if he can lock down a legitimate contract first.

Shattenkirk is the most intriguing name for me because while the likes of Barrie, Schultz, and Giordano would all be most suited to a third pairing role, Shattenkirk could slot in as a serviceable top 4 option. His numbers with the Bruins were very positive last season, averaging roughly 16 minutes a game and he would be a legitimate PP option for the Oilers on the second pairing instead of the weird Nurse-Ekholm duo they ran last season.

The plan would still likely be to upgrade that position at the trade deadline, but if the Oilers can run Cody Ceci in the top 4 for most of the regular season and be fan... Shattenkirk could probably hold his own just as well.

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I'll post something a bit more comprehensive in the next day or two as I am sure more things are going to be announced.

Thanks for reading.

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