Quoting: RipNasty
Draisaitl wouldn't get 100 points away from McDavid and gets the vast majority of his points with McDavid on the ice. 40% of his 5v5 time last season was with McDavid. Over the past few seasons its always around a 3rd of his 5v5 time and all the PP and that's where he gets 75% of his points. He's also average at best defensively, this season below average. Right now, Nylander is playing better. Draisaitl is definitely overrated. Put Nylander with McDavid and he scores 50 goals and 130 points
So he plays less than half of his time with McDavid? 40% is less than half. As for his even strength vs powerplay points, he also gets less than half of his points last season on the powerplay. Of his 128 points last season, 66 were even strength. 62 were powerplay. For McDavids 152 points last year, 82 were even strength. 71 were powerplay. So really, they both benefitted like crazy from the best powerplay in history, and it was that because draisaitl was so effective at taking one-timers from basically the goal line that it went in almost every time.
I'm not arguing that Draisaitl is as good McDavid. Don't get me wrong there; McDavid is the best player in the world by a mile, maybe the most overall skilled player in hockey history. McDavid and Draisaitl is this generations Crosby/Malkin, where both are good enough to drive their own line, but are better together.
So, to put it blunty, Nylander's resume just doesn't add up to Draisaitl's (let's not forget that Drai won the Hart when McDavid was injured half the season). Nylander is a really good player, but he's nowhere near Draisaitl. Nylander has only put up 40 goals one time, and it was exactly 40. Draisaitl put up 50 goals 3 times. Draisaitl has put up 6 seasons with over 40 assists, Nylander only has 3 and never crossed 50. Draisaitl has put up over 50 assists each of the last 5 seasons.
As for the trade itself, why would Edmonton trade a much-needed center with 2 years left at a very team friendly deal for another winger with one year left before becoming very un-team friendly?