Though it may not have needed to be said, Edmonton Oilers GM today clarified his position in regards to a potential offer sheet targeting Leon Draisaitl. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Chiarelli and the Oilers will match “any offer.” Whether it is a bluff or not, it’s hard to see anyone actually signing Draisaitl to an offer sheet. They are so rare these days that they almost never happen, and Chiarelli can honestly say he’ll match after moving out salary in today’s earlier Jordan Eberle deal.
If anyone were to try it, the penalties were outlined by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet some time ago. They’re as follows:
| $1,295,571 or less | No compensation |
| $1,295,571 to $1,962,968 | Third-round pick |
| $1,962,968 to $3,925,975 | Second-round pick |
| $3,925,975 to $5,888,960 | First and third-round picks |
| $5,888,960 to $7,851,948 | First, second and third-round picks |
| $7,851,948 to $9,814,935 | Two firsts, a second and third-round picks |
| Over $9,814,935 | Four first-round picks |
You can see why Chiarelli would be comfortable saying it. Unless a team is willing to sign Draisaitl for almost $10MM a year—which is still unlikely regardless of his unbelievable potential and performance this season—the compensation would be nowhere near the value he’ll bring to the franchise for the next several years. There’s no guarantee that Draisaitl stays with the Oilers long term (or even to his 26th birthday given how young he broke into the league) but two firsts a second and third pale in comparison to what he’s worth.
Interestingly, Oilers fans will remember the time they signed Thomas Vanek, then a young sniper for the Buffalo Sabres to an offer sheet, only to have it matched. Had the Sabres let Vanek go, they would have been owed four first-round picks, which ended up as the 12th, 10th, 1st and 1st overall selections in their respective drafts. Vanek was coming off a better season (albeit in a higher scoring environment) than Draisaitl’s 2016-17, giving just a tiny bit of pause to the idea that the Oilers should actually match any offer.
Someone should offer a ridiculous amount. *Cough* Vegas *Cough* what will they do then? Will they match if the offer is more than what they want to give McDavid
Wont happen but it would be funny
Since Vegas is building a farm from scratch, it’s more worth it for them to keep the multiple picks than sign Draisaitl.
The Oilers would get 4 top 10 picks if that were to happen. Maybe top 5