However, the Oilers weren't always as high as they are on him now. Back in the summer of 2016, they were looking to add a defenseman and they could've made an incredible mistake. The Montreal Canadiens, on their end, were also looking for a splash, and the two GMs worked out a blockbuster deal that would've drastically changed these two team's futures:
The Habs and the Oilers had a deal in place that would've sent Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and the 4th Overall pick (Jesse Puljujarvi) for the then Norris calibre defenseman P.K. Subban and the 9th Overall (Mikhaïl Sergachev).
Could you imagine how it would've changed the Habs? History says that the Habs called it off because the player they wanted was the centerman that went 3rd to Columbus, Pier-Luc Dubois. What if they hadn't called it off and picked Matthew Tkachuk, who went to Calgary with the 6th or Clayton Keller, who went 7th?
We know how history goes; Draisaitl is among this league's best. Darnell Nurse is sometimes a dominant defenseman, while P.K. Subban gave two seasons that were truly up to his worth before his value fell off, and he ended up retiring.
