A pricey core that scores

Oilers are following the Leafs’ cap blueprint except their stars have performed in the playoffs

- DAVE FESCHUK

Newly inserted Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is in the midst of dealing with one of the grimmest realities of NHL team building: As your roster gets more experienced, it gets more expensive.

Which means that every season you don't win the Stanley Cup and the Oilers came within a game of doing just that back in June - is a season that might well have been your best chance at doing so.

Certainly that's the least flattering implication of the contract extension for Leon Draisaitl announced this week. For all the talk about the deal being a signal of Connor McDavid's long-term acquiescence to life in North America's northernmost metropolis, given the well-documented friendship between the two stars, Draisaitl's eight-year deal valued at $112 million (U.S.) means his cap hit of $14 million will supplant Toronto captain Auston Matthews as the NHL's largest next season.

Leon Draisaitl, centre, is about to have the NHL's highest cap hit at $14 million (U.S.) a season, while Connor McDavid will soon need his own extension. Top blueliner Evan Bouchard, right, is also about to get much more expensive.

Considering Edmonton's top defenceman Evan Bouchard is a restricted free agent also in need of a contract extension and that McDavid will be eligible for another league-topping contract extension next summer it's an understatement to say the math only gets trickier from here.

In other words: Hello, Edmonton. Welcome to life as the Toronto Maple Leafs.