The Edmonton Oilers have reportedly begun contract negotiations with star forward Leon Draisaitl, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Friday.

“The next iteration of this when everyone’s locked up, and I’m saying when because to me, it’s not if,” Seravalli said during an appearance on Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer. “I believe the Oilers have already begun discussions with Draisaitl’s camp.

“This is the only place on planet Earth that both of them can play together. Where else are you going to go to play with Connor McDavid?”

Seravalli was on Oilersnation Everyday Saturday. where he reiterated his report, stating that while they won’t be fully bogged down in contract discussions until after the Stanley Cup Final, all parties involved want to get a deal done. He was not confident in predicting what Draisaitl’s next contract would look like, but he agreed with Stauffer’s assessment that his camp will not be looking for an Auston Matthews-type contract (medium-term deal) and instead will want the max eight years.

On Oilers NOW, Seravalli said he sees McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard accumulating for $40-million against the cap in a few years, with Stauffer asking if $16-million, $14-million and $10-million as salary markers for the three would be in the range, something Seravalli said was his projection. This would come at a time when the NHL salary cap is expected to be at $100-million.

This report will likely give Oilers fans a sigh of relief especially given how dire things feel with the team in danger of getting swept by the Panthers. Many people knew going into the campaign just how vital it was for Edmonton to go for it due to the uncertainty surrounding Draisatil and McDavid’s future. The possibility of one or both of them leaving town within the next two years has been a dark cloud looming over the fanbase all season long, so to hear that one has begun preliminary extension talks while the other will be committed to staying is incredible news for the Oilers’ faithful.

Of course, reports are one thing and making it happen is another entirely. Draisaitl will be in for a huge raise from his $8.5 million cap hit when the eight-year deal he inked back in 2017 expires next summer. Presuming he is willing to stay, the McDavid negotiations will not take long because he will get whatever he wants with no questions asked. Then you add onto it the third player that Servalli alluded to in the aforementioned report in Evan Bouchard due for a significant payday and suddenly the Oilers will have a considerable amount of their cap hit dedicated to their big three players.

That means to fit all three players and leave enough wiggle room for depth, salary will need to be trimmed from their roster. Whether it is finding a way to rid themselves of Darnell Nurse or biting the bullet on Jack Campbell’s contract, expect the Oilers to be busy reshuffling the deck to ensure Draisaitl and McDavid continue to don the Blue and Orange indefinitely.

Sorry Leafs and Sharks fans, but the Oilers’ top dogs are not going anywhere.