NHL Trade Rumors: Insiders link $68,000,000 Leon Draisaitl to the worst team in 2023-24 regular season 

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified May 17, 2024 04:41 GMT

Edmonton Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl may be headed to the West Coast, as per insider Jeff Marek.

Marek, speaking with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski on "The Jeff Marek Show", responded to a question by Wyshynski about whether Draisaitl would be willing to the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks finished with a league-worst 19-54-9 record in the regular season, accumulating just 47 points.

"Do you think Draisaitl would go to San Jose because their owner is German?" Wyshynski questioned.

To which Marek replied:

"That’s kind of been whispered for a while."

Draisaitl is currently under contract in Edmonton for one more season. His $8.5 million cap hit is part of an eight-year, $68 million deal signed in August 2017.

With Draisaitl set to become a free agent after next season, rumors have circulated that he may not re-sign with the Oilers.

The basis of Marek’s argument lies in the fact that San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner is German. As such, Draisaitl, a fellow German, may feel compelled to play for his countryman.

Marek added:

"People have speculated on that now for at least a year, maybe longer."

It’s worth noting that the Sharks are in full rebuild mode. The club recently won the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. With the Sharks presumably picking Macklin Celebrini, the pieces may be in motion for the Sharks to become a contender in the not-too-distant future.

Would Leon Draisaitl move to California?

As of now, this idea is nothing more than speculation based on rumors going around the league. The Sharks have one more season to get creative and make cap space to sign one of the best scorers in the league.

Leon Draisaitl may be too expensive for Oilers to keep

Draisaitl is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers starting July 1. However, there is no guarantee that he will.

Insider Darren Dreger pointed out a conundrum facing the Oilers. Draisaitl and Connor McDavid’s contracts will be up soon. Draisaitl can become a free agent on July 1, 2025, while McDavid could hit the market on July 1, 2026.

Dreger compared the Oilers’ situation to the one the Chicago Blackhawks faced when they signed Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

According to Dreger, Draisaitl could command a deal between $87 million to $90 million. Such a deal could represent roughly 14% to 16% of a team’s salary cap.

But does Dreger believe that Draisaitl is worth the money? Dreger said per The Hockey News:

"He is to me."

Dreger added:

"Can the Oilers afford to pay him that? No."

This supports the notion that Draisaitl’s days in Edmonton may be numbered. Perhaps the Oilers and Draisaitl can figure out a way to make the numbers work, but it seems he is on his way out of Edmonton for now.

Do you think Leon Draisaitl could be headed to San Jose next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.