The Edmonton Oilers finally completed a contract extension with superstar forward Leon Draisaitl, as they announced on Tuesday (Sept. 3) morning that they had extended him for eight more seasons with an average annual value of $14 million. After months of speculation and some worry that started to creep into Oilers fans’ minds, the deal is finally done. At this stage in his career, Draisaitl is playing on one of the strongest teams in the NHL as they look to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history. With one order of business now done, it’s time for them to focus on having a strong 2024-25 campaign before shifting to re-signing Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid.
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Draisaitl met with the media alongside general manager Stan Bowman shortly after signing the new extension and answered some questions about the negotiation process, what thoughts led him to make this decision, and his goals for the future with the Oilers. Some comments raised eyebrows of some fans around the league, specifically when Draisaitl was asked about McDavid’s future in Edmonton.
When asked to give some insight on the direction McDavid was planning to go, since his contract is up after the 2025-26 season, Draisaitl made sure not to give much away about his “dynamic-duo” partner. In response, Draisaitl implied that he made sure he did what was best for his career moving forward, and believes that’s exactly what McDavid will do as well. While nobody expected Draisaitl to give a direct answer, this one made fans wonder if there’s a slim chance McDavid is considering alternative options.
No Reason to Worry for Oilers Fans
Despite the potentially-worrying response from Draisaitl, there is no reason to believe McDavid won’t be an Oiler for life. His happiness on social media in reaction to Draisaitl’s extension, mixed with his very vocal pride about being the captain of the team, are just a couple of reasons that indicate he has no intentions of considering signing elsewhere. The Oilers will likely shift their focus onto locking up Bouchard before they speak to McDavid about an extension, but there is no doubt in my mind both deals will get done.
Even with this massive amount of money dedicated to one player, the Oilers still have the flexibility to bring everyone back next season while paying them what they deserve. As of right now, they have $15 million in cap space with six players in need of new contracts next summer, including Bouchard. With Draisaitl taking a slight pay cut considering what he could have made on the open market, it should encourage the rest of the Oilers’ stars to go similar routes.
The one issue the Oilers may run into is the Darnell Nurse contract because it does two things. First, it drives up the value of Bouchard. Second, if the Oilers do find themselves looking for money and Nurse is the player they choose to get rid of, his no-movement clause forces the team to buy him out. However, they should be able to work around his $9.25 million cap hit and continue creating a championship contender.
When comparing the Oilers’ roster to the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and even the Carolina Hurricanes — who are all also contending with lots of money tied up into their superstars — it’s easy to see why some fans around the league questioned the motives behind tying close to $40 million in just three players. Fortunately, with the salary cap going up every season, combined with the window the Oilers are in to try and win a championship, they should have no issue trying to bring Edmonton Stanley Cups over the next several seasons.
