The Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning are both looking to make it back to the playoffs this season, and it seems as though they will both be buyers when the 2025 Trade Deadline rolls around. Looking back on recent history, both teams have had different paths to getting where they are now. The Oilers haven’t had much postseason success and have had to grind their way slowly into contention as their players come into their primes, while the Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 2019-2020, and 2020-21 seasons. However, things could have looked much different considering the two sides almost made a blockbuster deal that would’ve altered the league entirely.
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In his recent podcast episode, trusted insider Jeff Marek shed insight on what could have been one of the biggest trades in NHL history. He explained that the Oilers and Lightning spoke about a trade involving Leon Draisaitl and Nikita Kucherov switching teams back in 2019. While he makes it clear that he doesn’t know how close a trade was to happening, he could confidently confirm this was an idea both teams were interested in at the time.
Draisaitl, who is 29 years old, signed a massive eight-year extension with the Oilers this past offseason worth $14 million annually making him the highest-paid player in the NHL. This season, he has scored 23 goals and added 24 assists for 47 points through 31 games. Through 750 games in his entire career, he has scored 370 goals and added 527 assists for 897 points.
Kucherov, who is 31 years old, has scored 14 goals and added 33 assists for 47 points through 27 games this season. Throughout his career, he has scored 334 goals and added 586 assists for 920 points through 752 games. Both players are among the most elite players in the NHL today and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. If any trade involving these two players had ended up coming to fruition, things may have looked completely different.
Lightning Likely Don’t Win Back-to-Back Stanley Cups
Anything is possible in the NHL, but it’s tough to see a world where the Lightning win back-to-back championships without Kucherov. Draisaitl is a phenomenal playoff performer and he will likely end up helping lead the Oilers to a Stanley Cup at some point during his career, but Kucherov’s performances during the 2020 and 2021 playoffs were a massive part in helping the team win.
In the 2020 postseason, Kucherov scored seven goals and added 27 assists for 34 points through 25 games. In the 2021 postseason, he scored eight goals and added 24 assists for 32 points through 23 games. Surprisingly, he didn’t win the Conn Smythe Trophy either time, which is awarded to the playoff’s most valuable player.
Draisaitl could have helped the Lightning, but the chemistry between Kucherov and his teammates at the time was unmatched, and there is no guarantee that would have been the same. His playoff performance has been strong throughout his career though, having scored 41 goals and adding 67 assists for 108 points through 74 playoff games.
Realistically, the deal would have benefitted both teams to some degree, but there is no clear winner in a deal like this. The Oilers likely would have won the deal short-term and had a better chance at a Stanley Cup a few seasons ago, but with a long-term outlook, the Lightning get the better end of any deal that involved these two superstars considering Draisaitl is younger. However, the deal never came together, and both players are likely to remain with their respective teams for the remainder of their careers.
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