Should Steve Yzerman look to the Oilers for advice?

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Finnegan Frost
June 12, 2024 (1:18 PM)

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The Detroit Red Wings find themselves in a tough situation next season concerning their salary cap.

When looking at the objectives for the off-season, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has crucial objectives he must tick off his list before he can start rebuilding his team. The primary objective will be signing Red Wings stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Both Moritz and Raymond's contracts are set to expire and both will be seeking massive increases in pay. With a salary cap already so tight for Steve Yzerman, could they look to the Edmonton Oilers for strategy?

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 the 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?

It's no secret that the Edmonton Oilers have Leon Draisaitl and Connor Mcdavid, two offensive superstars who have the ability to carry a team. Could it be a good idea to build a team around two players on huge contracts? Offering long-term value contracts and locking the young Red Wings super stars might be a great strategy to learn from the Oilers.

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.

source: The Hockey News
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