St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas revealed the immediate reactions of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl following the news of the Blues providing offer sheets to two Oilers players.

Last month, the Blues signed defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway to two-year contracts after the Oilers did not match the offer sheets for the restricted free agents. Broberg’s contract totals $9.16 million, while Holloway’s value is $4.58 million. In addition to the contracts, the Blues compensated the Oilers with second-round draft picks.

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks - Source: Imagn

Thomas was with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman when the news broke.

He described the atmosphere as amusing, noting that the trio was not pleased with the development.

Robert told Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin (quotes via Michael Mazzei of Oilersnation):

“It was actually funny. I was sitting with a couple of the Oilers when the news broke. I had lunch after training. I was with McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman [laughs]. It was pretty funny. Yeah, they weren’t too happy with it. I had no idea what happened. I was just sitting there eating and I guess it popped up on one of their phones and they heard about it and they weren’t too happy about it.”

The atmosphere of both fan bases will be interesting when the Blues and Oilers face each other in the upcoming season.

Insider weighs in on Connor McDavid’s contract extension

The Edmonton Oilers recently signed Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $112 million contract, set to commence from the 2025–26 season. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid has two years remaining on his $100 million deal.

Maybe $16M?": NHL insider weighs in on Connor McDavid's next contract post Leon Draisaitl's record $112M extension

It is expected that McDavid will ink an extension next offseason; if he does, it could surpass Draisaitl’s numbers. NHL insider Frankie Corrado discussed McDavid’s potential contract extension, suggesting that the starting figure for the new deal could be around $15 million or even $16 million.

“Does the number start at $15, maybe even $16? Well, it’s higher than Leon Draisaitl, let’s call it for what it is. If Leon Draisaitl wanted a two-year deal, he wanted an eight-year deal, if he wanted $14 million, $15 million like he got to dictate the terms on this deal. Connor McDavid gets to do that as well.”

Corrado reckons Connor McDavid holds similar leverage in negotiations, allowing him to dictate favorable terms for his extension.