On the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman found himself in the middle of a conversation which he admitted would make fans of the Edmonton Oilers angry. After fielding a question about Connor McDavid’s future, Friedman joked that people in Northern Alberta are going to be “driving off the road, listening to this conversation.”
The exchange began when a fan asked if McDavid leaving Edmonton to join Auston Matthews on the Toronto Maple Leafs would mark the first time in NHL history that the top two players in the world played on the same team.
Friedman didn’t dismiss it out right, though. Instead, he walked through some examples. Mario Lemieux with Jaromír Jágr in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby with Evgeni Malkin during the Penguins’ dynastic run. Wayne Gretzky alongside Jari Kurri in Edmonton. The league has seen generational duos before, he explained:
“Mario, Jagr. I even say like Crosby. Malkin. There was a time where they were one, two in the world and they were winning or up there. I mean, Gretzky, Kurri. I mean, there were so many.”
Still, Friedman acknowledged the real question hanging over the Oilers. After the laughs, he stressed his belief that McDavid will indeed re-sign in Edmonton just not necessarily for the kind of decade-long deal many expected.
“People in Northern Alberta are going to be driving off the road, listening to this conversation. But I’ll say this: I think McDavid’s going to re-sign in Edmonton, just not for term,” he said.
A shorter extension would give McDavid flexibility while ensuring the Oilers remain competitive year after year which is a growing trend among NHL superstars. For Edmonton, that remains both a comfort and a concern until of course the franchise cornerstone is secured in place for good.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are easily an all-time great duo
What went unmentioned in the podcast discussion was the duo already in Edmonton. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That omission may have struck as glaring because statistically, they already rival the very greats Friedman listed.
From a numbers perspective, the comparison with Matthews holds up strongly. Auston Matthews has a razor-thin edge in career goals (401 to Draisaitl’s 399), but Draisaitl has consistently driven offense as both a scorer and playmaker. His career average of 1.21 points per game outpaces Matthews’ 1.15, a sign of his ability to produce in multiple ways.
While Matthews is the league’s premier finisher, Draisaitl’s complete offensive profile makes the gap between the two far smaller than Toronto fans might suggest. When paired with McDavid, the results are quite something. Over more than 630 games together, McDavid has racked up close to 1,000 points, while Draisaitl has tallied over 830 points.
Draisaitl’s scoring pace with McDavid on the ice sits at around 1.25 points per game and that;s how consistently their partnership drives results. In the playoffs, the duo has elevated even further. In recent runs, Edmonton’s expected goal share when both are on the ice has hovered near 66%, compared to just 49% when they are off. That kind of on-ice impact places them firmly in the conversation with the great tandems of past eras.
Oilers fans sure don’t want to hear about McDavid needing to leave to play alongside another superstar when he already shares the ice with one of the best in the world. The McDavid-Draisaitl partnership has been the backbone of Edmonton’s rise and they are one Stanley Cup short of going down in the books.
As the season approaches, the Oilers’ biggest issue is how McDavid’s decision on term will shape the franchise’s future and until then, fans in Northern Alberta will be holding their breath.