The Edmonton Oilers have had one of the most surprising first halves they’ve ever had as a team. They came into the 2023-24 campaign with plenty of confidence behind them and many considered them Stanley Cup favourites, but their start did not back up any of those beliefs. After starting the season 3-9-1, the team made some massive changes, opting to fire Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson who were replaced by Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey. They have seemingly turned this Oilers’ squad from a struggling defensive team into what could be a Stanley Cup winner..
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The Oilers also decided to send down goaltender Jack Campbell and call up Calvin Pickard which has been a good decision so far and may have played a factor in the team’s newfound success. The amount of worry in Oilers fans has gone down significantly as they currently have an eight-game winning streak and seem to be playing much better hockey at both ends of the ice. Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Leon Draisaitl have all stepped up in big ways offensively over this impressive stretch.
One issue many fans have stuck in the back of their minds is one the Oilers will have to deal with pretty soon and that’s re-signing Draisaitl, whose contract expires after next season and will likely command at least $12.75 million per season on his next deal. While there isn’t any reason to believe the Oilers won’t be able to re-sign Draisaitl or that he’s considering going elsewhere, Oilers insider Mark Spector made some fans believe otherwise with his recent headline after an interview with the superstar forward.
“…He could take this opportunity to go to a far sexier market like Vegas or Los Angeles, where his girlfriend/actor Celeste Desjardins would be closer to her work. Or be nearer his homeland, his Spanish villa and his summer home in Aurora, Ont., while playing on the East Coast in Boston or New York.”
– Mark Spector on Draisaitl potentially leaving the Oilers (Edmonton’s Iron Horse: Draisaitl the next big Canadian contract to watch)
In the article, Spector talks about how important Draisaitl’s next contract is and how much of an impact his decision will have on the league. Draisaitl isn’t going to flat-out give his decision — regardless of what it is — until he knows what it is himself. Draisaitl claims in the interview that he and McDavid will make their own decisions based on what is best for them, and they will have to have plenty of conversations with their families and agents to decide their next move.
Draisaitl’s Impact With The Oilers
Draisaitl was drafted by the Oilers third overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft after a stellar showing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Prince Albert Raiders where he scored 38 goals and added 67 assists for 105 points through 64 games. In the same season, he represented his home country of Germany at the U20 World Junior Championship, where he scored two goals and added four assists for six points in six games. He quickly built himself a reputation as an offensive powerhouse and the Oilers were hoping he could transfer his offensive game to the NHL, which everyone already knows he did.
Draisaitl broke through at the NHL level in the 2016-17 season where he scored 29 goals and added 48 assists for 77 points through 82 games and hasn’t lost his spot in the NHL since then, turning himself into a superstar in the process. In the 2018-19 season, he exploded, scoring 50 goals and adding 55 assists for 105 points through 82 games. He broke his own record last season and hit a career-high 128 points in 80 games. The 128-point campaign was his fourth recording at least 100 points in a season.
Throughout his NHL career, Draisaitl has maintained a point-per-game average of 1.17 and has scored 325 goals and added 462 assists for 787 points through 675 games. He has become one of the Oilers’ best players in recent history and may go down as one of the best to ever play for the organization. He has also proven himself to be a fantastic performer in the postseason, having scored 31 goals and adding 46 assists for 77 points through 49 playoff games.
Draisaitl Isn’t Going Anywhere
I find Spector even tossing out the idea that Draisaitl is going to consider leaving the Oilers when his contract is over to be absurd. While anybody can be traded — as we’ve seen over time with the famous Wayne Gretzky deal — I doubt the Oilers make the same mistake twice and give up a franchise superstar. If there is any doubt Draisaitl would re-sign, the Oilers could trade him for a massive haul, but I just don’t see a world where Draisaitl plays for another team other than the Oilers.
Draisaitl does have leverage in his contract negotiations as he will be an unrestricted free agent, but there is no reason to believe he wants out of Edmonton currently. Hopefully, the Oilers can get him locked up sooner than later and fans can stop speculating on whether he is going to leave.
