NHL's arbitration season is in full swing, with Philipp Kurashev recently netting a whopping $2.5 million AAV award. While this is a promising development for Kurashev, it spells potential trouble for fans of the Edmonton Oilers. <div align='center' style='padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;'><img src='https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/i/photo/292322.webp' width='100%' border='0' alt='image' loading='lazy' defer /></div> <h2>A Game-Changer</h2> Edmonton Oilers face a tense hearing with Ryan McLeod at the arbitration table on August 4th. The hockey world is predicting that the outcome of Kurashev's case may heavily influence McLeod's verdict. <q>The team that's hurting the most from this is the Edmonton Oilers trying to get Ryan Mcleod done, because I think they were trying to wedge him in just south of two million bucks or just south of two million bucks, and now that number is sadly like 2.5. - Frank Seravalli</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1684222492653817857'> </a></blockquote></div> <h2>Consequences</h2> The new precedent set by the $2 million-plus decision has sent shockwaves through the Oilers' financial planning. It's been rumored that the Oilers initially hoped to snag McLeod for a figure under $2 million. If the decision indeed swings towards the $2.5 million mark, it could limit the Oilers' flexibility in terms of what they can propose to other players, such as Evan Bouchard. Nevertheless, the Oilers still have a chance to turn things around, as there's still room for negotiation before the arbitration hearing. As seen on Hockey OTB - <a href='https://www.hockeyotb.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/Oilers-Could-be-in-Trouble-After-Recent-Arbitration-Ruling' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Oilers Could be in Trouble After Recent Arbitration Ruling</a>