Back when he was hired, I said that Stan Bowman would likely make the second most consequential move of his entire time as General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers within his first two months on the job.
Low and behold, within that time frame, Leon Draisaitl has signed an 8-year extension and had proclaimed he hopes to be “an Oiler for life”.
Among the multiple reasons why this was possible, we are going to talk about a specific, significant factor in building this cup contender.
The Katz Advantage.
That and more in this edition of…
9 Things
9. Brad Malone hung up the skates this past week. The very definition of a gold soldier for the organization, Malone gave what he had and did an excellent job as Captain in Bakersfield. He will move into coaching in the OHL.
8. Oilers Fan Day is September 22nd. I remember taking my (then) young son to these and he was in his glory. Locker room sale. Meet & greet with alumni. An Oilers practice. And all free. This is prior to their pre-season opener against the Jets.
7. No official Captain’s Skates for Edmonton this year. You know, losing teaches one lessons only learned by enduring that pain. One thing the Oilers may have learned is that it is way more of a marathon than they ever imagined.
6. Two attendees to these sessions are young players on value contracts that have an outside shot at cracking this roster. Will Matt Savoie be much further behind than Dylan Holloway? Will Noah Philp be able to pick up where he left off before leaving the game for a year? I hear Philp is in crackin’ good shape.
5. The Oilers get a bit of a favorable turn when it comes to the NHL regular season schedule. Over half their games this season will be against clubs who did not make it to the post season. Of curse that only matters if you beat them. As my late father used to say, cut the hay while the sun is shining.”
4. James Hamblin has switched his jersey number from #57 to #52. That is how old his mother was when she passed away. Many Oiles fans will already know how influential James’ mom and her battle were on him. An inspiring story out of heartbreak. While I do not have Hamblin on the opening roster, I have also underestimated him before.
3. Justin Schultz is a possibility in Edmonton. As I indicated last week, the two sides have talked. The Kevin Shattenkirk reports are plausible, but it is more likely that we could see the likes of Travis Dermott. Yes, he is a left but plays both sides. He was coached by Kris Knoblauch in Erie and was represented in the past by Jeff Jackson. There is a split-squad game with the Flames on the twenty-third. They will need 10 D-men for that.
2. We have received the R3/24 publication of the NUMERIS metered radio survey for Edmonton. More commonly known as the “summer book,” that is a bit of a misnomer since the 13-week survey spans May 27 through August 25. For nearly four of those weeks, the Oilers were still in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. During the 13 weeks, Bob Stauffer’s 4-7p Oilers Now show enjoyed an average daily total audience of 42,313 (FC CUME). And over the first of those four weeks, listeners absolutely flocked to their radios, as Bob had the second biggest total audience of any show in Edmonton (so, not just sports). Statistical proof that radio is very much alive.
1.Last week in this space I wrote “the maximum amount that Edmonton could pay Leon Draisaitl under an $88m salary cap would be 20%, or $17.6m. I will be surprised if Leon’s deal comes in over $14m. As for term, I also think it is probable that both sides agree on an 8-year deal”. Some folks like to argue whether Draisaitl really signed a team-friendly deal when it pays him an AVV of $14m. Well, I see a guy who left $3.6m on the table. $3.6m than multiple other clubs would have had no problem writing the cheques for. Your mileage may vary. Of course. It is an unsavory trait among some to denigrate the impact of Daryl Katz on this franchise. But the Leon Draisaitl contract is among the growing evidence of how Mr. Katz’s influence has helped and is continuing to build the Edmonton Oilers into a perennial Stanley Cup contender. A professional hockey team is really not particularly different from any other workplace. Good ownership and managers allow employees to flourish and grow. But we also know the #1 reason most people leave their current jobs: Their boss.
So, when Leon Draisaitl begins his address to the media and on Oilers+ Tuesday by listing off the Katz family members by name and then adding that “I’m aware of my responsibility. I’m aware of the commitment that (sic) he and the entire Oilers organization has given me. It’s my time to give back in a way, right”? Later, on Bob Stauffer’s show, Draisaitl added “we are so fortunate with Daryl and the entire Katz family and how we’re treated”, and “the things that we are able to get as an organization simply because how much Daryl and his family cares about us is in my opinion, uh, the best in the league. That plays a big part in this.”
We can easily extrapolate from that Leon likes how he is treated. The best arena. It would not have been built without him and where would the team be located without it? The best training facilities. The best travel arrangements (especially within the context of a grueling schedule for a Western Conference club). The team is winning. Free Agents are signing here. Oh, also, one of the few players in the league better than him is on the same side.
The Katz Advantage is a significant reason Leon is staying…and why others have and will continue join him.
Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]. This article is not AI generated.
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