Every offseason, the same recycled narrative emerges: comparing the Edmonton Oilers’ so-called “Core Four” to that of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This year, things look a little different. Mitch Marner just left the Toronto Maple Leafs and joined the Vegas Golden Knights. Meanwhile, Evan Bouchard signed a massive new four-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. That seems to have given a few fans in Toronto carte blanche to take shots at an Oilers team they feel is trending in the wrong direction.
However, the truth is that lumping Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Bouchard, and Darnell Nurse into the same failed framework as the Maple Leafs’ core is misleading at best—and lazy analysis at worst.
Different Structure, Different Results
For starters, Toronto’s former “Core Four” of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares were all high-paid forwards. The result was an offense-heavy roster lacking balance. Toronto ran that group back over and over, failing every season to either get out of the first round or go deep.
The Oilers, in contrast, have a more rounded core: two elite forwards (McDavid and Draisaitl), a star defenseman (Bouchard), and a physical minute-munching veteran on the back end (Nurse). Edmonton’s structure is far different, spreading the money out among different positions, while offering various features among all four players. An argument can be made that too much money was spent on certain players, but that’s a topic for another day.
That Toronto allocated $46.65 million to their top four forwards was their biggest mistake. And, several years later, as the salary cap has increased, Edmonton’s version of the “Core Four” is costing less than Toronto’s did by about $2 million. The money is spread more sensibly across positions, and that distinction matters.
Leafs fans holding onto the idea that Edmonton will somehow feel the same disappointment, their team needs to remember that the Oilers have won multiple playoff rounds in recent seasons. No, the Oilers haven’t won the Stanley Cup with this group, but they’ve been one win and two wins away from the Cup in consecutive seasons.
Cap Critiques Are Overblown
A key talking point in the future will be that the Oilers’ top salaries account for approximately 48% of the projected $95 million cap. Traditionally, that’s not a recipe for success. But, there are two big difference-makers in this theory, and this is only a problem if the rest of the roster isn’t managed correctly.
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The “they spend too much on stars” would be true if those stars weren’t McDavid and Draisaitl. There is simply no comparison when it comes to any one of the four players the Leafs were banking on. McDavid and Draisaitl are vastly better in almost every category, and they should rightfully be paid among the top players in the NHL.
The timing of their deals isn’t ideal for this season, even next. That said, the salary cap is about to jump in a way the NHL has never seen before. What is 48% of the cap today will be 44% in 2026-27, and 40% in 2027-28. Even if McDavid gets $17 million on his next deal, the Oilers will be around 42% of the cap for those four players. It’s not perfect, but it’s easy to take that situation and put too much stock in it.
Are Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard Worth It?
Nurse’s $9.25 million salary often draws criticism, and one could reasonably argue he is overpaid. He has remained a steady, physical presence since debuting in 2015, but the Oilers mistakenly bridged him twice in negotiations. That forced their hand before signing his long-term deal. He plays top minutes, kills penalties, and brings an edge to Edmonton’s blue line, but the contract is rich.
All that said, Nurse plays in different situations, helps fill that toughness gap, and when he’s on, he’s instrumental to the Oilers’ success.
Now, the spotlight will be brightly shining on Evan Bouchard. His $10.5 million per season is higher than the Oilers likely would have ideally spent, but offer sheets, a rising salary cap, and record-breaking playoff numbers heading into a potential arbitration case left the Oilers in a situation where $100 million over eight years likely wasn’t on their bingo card. Bouchard will have to live up to the deal, and Oilers fans will let him hear about it when he doesn’t.
The “Core Four” Comparison Is Stale
At the end of the day, Edmonton has won. In fact, they’ve won a lot.
Not the Cup yet, but several playoff series—including a deep run in 2022, a first-round win in 2023, then two runs in 2024 and 2025 that took them to the Final. Toronto, by contrast, has very few playoff rounds under its belt, with a core that is now finally changing.
The Maple Leafs are now under a different kind of microscope. Can they win without Marner? Can Brad Treliving build a team that contends, while spreading out the money and reshaping the team’s DNA? The fear that he might not be able to might be why some Toronto fans are so quick to jump on the bandwagon that bashes the Oilers’ recent signings.
Time will tell if the Oilers are making a mistake. That said, the “Core Four” comparison is stale.
