The Oilers have been able to overcome more than their fair share of bad contracts because of the way they locked in their stars early. How does that lesson apply to Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider?
There is no mystery as to how the Edmonton Oilers made their way through a crowded Western Conference and into the Stanley Cup Finals. They were driven there by their twin superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. With total respect to Edmonton's depth players, goaltending, and coaching, it is hardly a hot take to suggest that the Oilers' distinguishing factor as a Cup contender is the presence of McDavid and Draisaitl.
From a contractual perspective, one thing that stands out about Edmonton is that they are not exactly free from problematic contracts. In a salary cap league, we often think of building a Stanley Cup contender as an efficiency contest, doubly so with the increased stricture of the cap's post-COVID stagnation. Specifically, the Oilers have to deal with varying degrees of overpays to defenseman Darnell Nurse (the most extreme example), goaltender Jack Campbell (who has spent the second half of the season in thee American League), and defenseman Cody Ceci. They are also still dealing with the buyout they owe James Neal from a disastrous contract of esteryear.
How can Edmonton overcome those troubles? The answer again lies in McDavid and Draisaitl but not just in their outstanding on-ice performance; instead, it also lies in the way the Oilers elected to structure their contracts coming off their entry-level deals.
In the summer of 2017, then Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli (who is generally regarded by Oilers fans with revulsion) signed the duo to eight-year, max-term deals upon the expiration of their rookie deals. McDavid's was worth an even $100 million (a $12.5 million cap hit), and Draisaitl's $68 million (an $8.5 million cap hit). Both contracts were clearly steep for young players, but both players have grown into making those deals look like bargains. Both would be worth far more if they were to hit the free agent market at any point during the back halves of those deals.
So what does any of this have to do with the Red Wings?
Well, the Oilers are hardly a model of salary cap prudence, but their ability to build a Stanley Cup team around their twin pillars does make a compelling case as to the value of long-term contracts for young stars, the sooner the better.
As Detroit looks to extend Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond (who like McDavid and Draisaitl in the summer of '17 have just graduated from their ELCs), the Edmonton example suggests that Steve Yzerman would be well served to lock his twin stars into max-term deals if possible. That provides stability to build around, and, even if the initial number is perhaps a bit more than they have necessarily earned, it will likely age gracefully.
Of course, it would be unfair to pin McDavid-Draisaitl level expectations on Raymond and Seider, and to build a team so dependent on two individuals is clearly a sub-optimal team-building strategy, but that doesn't diminish the value their two contracts have provided the Oilers. And that is something the Red Wings might be able to learn from.
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