Obviously a huge hypothetical here, but I’d think both teams decline.

For the Oilers, this would leave them pretty thin at centre. IF they decide to move Draisaitl or had to, they’d have to get a centre back in the deal otherwise it sets them too far back.

For the Leafs, Draisaitl isn’t really the type of centre they’d be looking for. He’d make more than Marner on an extension (likely $13-$14M aav) and while it’s smarter to spend money on centres than wingers, Toronto needs more of a two way guy in the 2C spot - someone to help on the PP and PK and that’s not Draisaitl’s strong spot.

Marner is arguably more valuable to his team than Draisaitl is so I’d think Toronto would be more likely to get more in return and yet you have Toronto trading a 1st round pick as well as taking on Ceci’s cap dump for a year. Just doesn’t seem like a logical fit.

Not even close imo. Draisaitl is miles better, and it’s not even funny. I like Marner, but it would cost considerably more if you want a guy like Draisaitl.

Is this an April Fools joke? Toronto would go nuts having Matthews and Draisaitl down the middle for 5+ years.

Edmonton declines pretty easily.

I was gonna say the same thing.

Look I absolutely love Marner as a player and think he is severely overhated by fans but the difference between him and Drai in value is just so much bigger than the 24th-32nd overall pick.

Firstly Drai is a centre and Marner is a winger, Centres are just far more valuable within this league than wingers. Drai has also been a large part of Edmontons PK unit which is a hole Marner is not able to fit. Frankly the only thing Marner will be able to replace is Drai's regular season point production. To Marners credit in the playoffs he has been much better the last few years but Drai has shown to kick it to another level when needed which I just don't think Marner can do.

If the leafs did want Drai this is what the package would most likely look like

Nylander + Woll + Lilijegren + Mcmann + 24'1st + 26'1st

No they wouldn’t.

Draisaitl is all offence and no defence. He’s good in the faceoff circle which is about all he does well defensively - that’s exactly what Tavares has been for the last 7 years and it hasn’t worked.

Leafs need a solid defensive centre that can chip in some offence in the 2C spot. Draisaitl ain’t that so it just becomes making the same problem over and over. How has McDavid and Draisaitl worked down the middle? It’s left Edmonton looking for a defensive centre behind them.. same issue.

If they Leafs could get a cheaper option at 2C in someone that’s more reliable defensively it would allow them to spend extra cap on other areas like the defence to improve which is where they really need it.

As for the Marner / Draisaitl debate - Draisaitl is absolutely better than Marner offensively. But that’s about it. Marner is hands down the better player and plays a full 200ft game while still being a 90-100 point player. He’s the catalyst on the Leafs.

Marner is more valuable to Toronto than Draisaitl is to Edmonton. Don’t believe me? If Edmonton lost Draisaitl to an injury what would happen? - they’d keep chugging along and have McDavid carry them. Now what about if Toronto lost Marner? Well they’d suffer as evidence by Toronto having the 30th ranked PP and 30th ranked PK since March 7 which is when Marner last played a game - that’s not a coincidence.

As said, both teams likely decline. But Toronto has more reasons to walk away from this idea.

I was fully with you on this take until the last sentence. I don't think Toronto is a good fit for Drai but saying Marner is more valuable to his team??? Also the Leafs are dumping Reaves in this scenario as well (which is a worse contract than Ceci)

If the Leafs lost Marner they could somewhat replace his production by signing a guy like Marchessault to give them 30 goals + 75-80 points on Matthews wing. If Edmonton lost Drai there special teams on both ends would take an insane dip and whatever 2C they do get to fill his role would not be able to come close on either his offensive game of defensive game.

Yes Marner is a terrific player, and any team would be lucky to have him, however, he wouldn’t bring to the ice what Draisaitl does for Edmonton. Draisaitl is our 2c, Marner would be a winger. I’m not a fan of Nuge as a center man, and would love it if he would stick to being a winger as well. Draisaitl has been a major piece to the team, 5v5, on the Pk, and PP unit. No way that can be replaced by Marner. I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t work.

I don’t mind your package, even though I don’t like Nylander too much ahah. Additionally, I do not believe we would need Woll with Skinner between the pipes, so I wouldn’t mind going for one for their good prospects instead.

…. How can you say that Marner wouldn’t help the Oilers PK? Marner literally plays the PK in Toronto and is miles better than Draisaitl defensively, it’s actually not even close. Draisaitl has the offensive edge on Marner, 100% but that’s about it. The gap in value isn’t nearly as much as people think.

Marner is also more valuable to Toronto than Draisaitl is to Edmonton.

Reaves + 1st will get you Ceci. Marner isn't close to enough to land you Draisaitl + 3rd.

Toronto hasn’t played with Marner in the lineup since March 7 and their PP is ranked 30th since then as is this PK.. both units that Marner plays on the top unit on. That’s why Marner is more valuable. If Draisaitl gets injured, Edmonton has McDavid to keep pushing the offence. When Toronto loses Marner, they don’t have anyone capable of putting up 90-100 points while still playing top PP minutes (while being the QB on a top 5 ranked PP) and still playing top PK minutes.

This is insane.

Yes, centres are more valuable than wingers, but Marner is almost as good as a winger can get. 90+ points a season, elite playmaking, 200-foot game, near Selke-level defense, and plays 20+ minutes a night, both on the top PP and PK unit (a better PKer than Drai too). Yes, overall Drai is better, but the gap is made up by trading up ~50 spots (to 24 btw, where there are still legitimate NHLers) and swapping Ceci's bad contract for a slightly better one.

That offer you proposed is unfair even if you added McDavid

Minor side note: Reaves is not a worse contract than Ceci. Reaves can be sent to the AHL and only carry a $200K cap hit, while Ceci can not do that. Reaves isn’t hindering any moves to be made while Ceci is - Ceci is a clear cut more cap dump than Reaves and I don’t even think that Reaves should be in the league.

Have you not watched the Leafs recently? They're 27th in both PP% and PK% since March 7th -- the last game Marner played

I think Oilers fans need to realize that Ceci is by far the bigger cap dump than Reaves is.
You can bury 85% of Reaves’ contract in the minors, you can only bury 35% of Ceci’s contract. Don’t know how you think it cost a 1st to move Reaves but not Ceci. More like Ceci and a 1st for Reaves.

You don't bury top-4 defensemen in the minors though.

If Cody Ceci is a top 4 defenceman, your defence is in trouble - hence why Edmonton was looking to upgrade him and tried to trade him at the deadline.

Ceci is more of a 5-6 defender at best. He is not a top 4 guy. Hell I’d take Simon Benoit over Ceci any day.

Side note: Marner would cost almost $10M if you put him in the AHL.

Marner’s not and never has been considered a cap dump. Ceci is.

Ceci is on a value contract. Very few top-4 RHD are paid less than he is.

Is that why they tried trading him at the deadline to move cap space?

He’s not a top 4 defender. Keep dreaming.

Not gonna comment on any other part of this, cause it's such an outrageous hypothetical, but Reaves is absolutely not a worse contract than Cody Ceci

Just could not let that slide lol

They didn't try to trade him for cap space, you just made that up.

Only 88 defensemen play more 5v5 minutes than Ceci does, making him a top-4 defenseman in fact. He has played top-4 minutes for the past 8 seasons, for 4 different teams and for at least 6 different coaches. You're obviously too delusional to see it, but he's a legitimate top-4 defenseman according to the people that get paid to decide such things.

Top-4 defender for just $3.25M is a lot better contract than an AHLer for $1.35M.

Uh, I didn’t know minutes played was the only factor that determined a players skill. By your logic Seth Jones is a better player than Cale Makar. 😂

& yes they did try to trade him. I can’t remember exactly who it was, I think it was Frank Servalli that reported it but coulda been someone else, but it was reported that Edmonton was looking at moving Ceci but the players told Holland that they didn’t want Ceci traded so Holland didn’t pull the trigger.

But keep believing that he’s a top 4 guy. That’s the funniest take I’ve read on here. ✌🏻

Sure, he plays top-4 minutes, but he's also awful. TOI doesn't equate to production and it's why he was shopped at the deadline and benched recently