The Edmonton Oilers will have to soon deal with something the fans have been anxiously waiting to hear more about, and that’s the extension of forward Leon Draisaitl. As one of the NHL’s elite players and an offensive juggernaut, Draisaitl will demand a massive pay raise on his next extension as he looks to help the Oilers win their first Stanley Cup since 1990. Because the extension hasn’t been completed yet, some fans have begun to worry if a deal is going to happen between the two sides or if we’re in for one of the biggest superstars in the hockey world heading to free agency. According to a recent segment on the NHL Network though, there is a strong belief Draisaitl isn’t going to leave the Oilers.
Jamie Hersch and Stu Grimson took a look at several big-name players whose names have been in the rumour mill for different reasons. Along with Draisaitl, they touched on Mitch Marner and Trevor Zegras’ statuses with their respective teams and what their futures could look like. During the segment, they discussed whether Draisaitl could be traded shortly if the two sides were too far apart in negotiations, but they reiterated that all signs point to the Oilers being able to re-sign Draisaitl.
Draisaitl Hasn’t Indicated He Wants To Play Anywhere Else
The Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed Auston Matthews to an extension worth $13.25 million per season, making him the highest-paid player in the NHL annually. When it comes to what Draisaitl could earn on his next deal, he may surpass that and become the highest-paid player in the league for a short while. There haven’t been any reports as to what Draisaitl’s ask could be on a new contract, but it’s fair to assume his offensive production over the past several seasons has made him deserving of a deal worth north of what Matthews is making. Even when it comes to taking a “team-friendly” contract, $13.5 million annually would be a fantastic price for the Oilers.
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If Draisaitl were to ever be made available by the Oilers, it’s insane to think about what the return could be for his services. Contending teams such as the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, and Nashville Predators all have the pieces to make a massive blockbuster deal work and could be willing to do whatever it takes to bring in a superstar at Draisaitl’s level. The Oilers will be banking on the fact Draisaitl hasn’t made any indication he wants to play for another team, and will likely hold out for a little while until they can clear up some cap space before they make an extension official.
While fans will likely worry until the team announces an extension, there seems to be confidence from media and management around the Oilers that a deal will eventually get done. The price of Draisaitl’s services may be expensive, but he has been a key piece to the Oilers’ recent success and has earned the massive pay raise he is expected to receive. He may take a bit of a pay cut so the team can bring back other key players like Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard, but he will still come in at an insanely high price.
The Oilers will be looking to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history this season after falling just short last season. They went out and made the right moves to bolster their depth at every position and find themselves in a good spot heading toward the new campaign. However, at some point, the Oilers will have to switch their focus on bringing back Draisaitl and forking over a large percentage of their cap to keep him. At the end of the day, they should have no issue doing so, and this recent NHL Network segment should put fans at ease, for now.
