Massive Leon Draisaitl contract extension brings appreciation for Panthers top players who sign team-friendly deals

It was announced on Tuesday that Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl has signed a new contract.

It’s an eight-year, $112 million contract that will keep the all-time scoring icon with the Oilers well into the next decade.

The deal carries an AAV (average annual value) of $14 million, which is now the highest salary cap in the NHL, surpassing Auston Matthews’ $13.25 AAV.

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First of all, let’s make it clear that this is an appropriate number for one of the most energetic scorers in the league.

Draisaitl has earned his money and the Oilers will be happy to have him with them for another eight seasons.

Along with Draisaitl and his alien teammate Connor McDavid, Edmonton pays an AAV of $26.5 per season.

That’s nearly a third of the Oilers’ $88 million salary cap.

While every team would naturally jump at the chance to have players like Draisaitl and McDavid, it does make it a lot harder to build the best possible team around them.

That’s where the Florida Panthers got lucky.

When you look at the Panthers’ most expensive contracts, there are quite a few that would be considered team-friendly.

The players with the highest AAVs on the team are Sasha Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky, who each count $10 million under the salary cap.

Barkov, like several of his teammates we’ll discuss shortly, has a contract until the end of the decade, while Bobrovsky’s contract expires after next season.

The next highest is Matthew Tkachuk at $9.50 per year. Like Barkov, he is under contract through 2029-2030.

Sam Reinhart just signed his contract extension, keeping last season’s 57-goal scorer in South Florida with an AAV of $8.625 million through 2031-32.

All four of these AAVs rank among the top 50 in the NHL, but you could argue that they’re all on the low side (except Bobrovsky).

There are 14 players in the NHL with a higher AAV than Barkov and Bob, 21 with a higher number than Tkachuk, and 45 with a higher AAV than Reinhart.

The purpose of this story is not just to compliment the efforts of Bill Zito and his team in negotiating long-term deals with key players at mutually satisfactory amounts.

It’s also meant to show the sacrifices these Panthers star players have made. They probably could have earned a lot more if they had focused on money instead of winning.

A team-friendly deal means the team can use the money to bolster the rest of the roster, with Florida’s depth being just as important to their Stanley Cup success as anything else.

For the price of a Leon Draisaitl, Florida gets a Sasha Barkov and perhaps an entire fourth line.

With a winning culture, smart management and a rising salary cap, there is a tremendous opportunity for Florida management and players to keep the Panthers a Stanley Cup contender for years to come.

It is certainly appropriate to thank the management, but don’t forget to thank the players for their side of the bargain as well.

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