Yestersay's massive blockbuster trade between the Avalanche and the Hurricanes shook the hockey world, and Leon Draisaitl is a reason the trade happened. When Leon Draisaitl signed <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/leon-draisaitl-breaks-silence-after-record-breaking-contract-with-the-oilers' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>his record-contract extension during the offseason</a>, it was billed as a big success for the Edmonton Oilers. Securing one of the NHL's top players for a long-term contract opens them up to build a dynasty capable of winning Stanley Cups for years to come. But the ripples of Draisaitl's contract have been seen throughout the league. <h3>Draisaitl's contract is one of the reasons Rantanen got traded</h3> <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/trades/former-oilers-first-overall-pick-taylor-hall-and-mikko-rantanen-involved-in-major-blockbuster-trade' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The blockbuster Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Chicago Blackhawks trade last night</a> revealed just how much Draisaitl's $14M-per-year price tag for a contract has moved the benchmark for superstar performers. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHL_Watcher/status/1882995638130106506'> </a></blockquote></div> It weakened one of Edmonton's top Western Conference rivals, too, in a bizarre and unintended fall-out of Draisaitl's high-dollar agreement. Mikko Rantanen, a pending UFA and key participant in the trade, apparently insisted on a $14M per-year contract, topping league-leading teammate Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6M record. Colorado, not willing to pay that price, opted to make a move for him, ultimately getting Martin Necas in return. Necas is a talent, but superstar output and presence such as Rantanen's can't be replaced. Had Edmonton been forced to make a similar move with <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/player/leon-draisaitl-8477934' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Draisaitl</a>, it could have gutted their roster. Instead, they signed him early, bending the marketplace and creating pressure among impending stars. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/2003nicko/status/1882996128683282793'> </a></blockquote></div> Edmonton will surely have salary cap concerns down the road, but a rising cap will help ease the strain. Meanwhile, Colorado, a consistent playoff participant, skate with a less formidable group of players. For the Oilers, a playoff series with Colorado is less daunting, at least in the short term.