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The Edmonton Oilers and Leon Draisaitl ended weeks of speculation by inking an eight-year, $112 million contract extension, NHL.com reported.
The club officially announced the extension via a press release on Tuesday. Later in the day, GM Stan Bowman and Leon Draisaitl held a media availability via Zoom. It allowed fans and the media to gauge where the two sides stood following the official announcement.
So, here’s a look at three major takeaways following Leon Draisaitl’s media availability on Tuesday.
3 major takeaways from Leon Draisaitl's interview
#3: Draisaitl is committed to being an Oiler for life
Leon Draisaitl led his comments by reiterating his desire to remain part of the Edmonton Oilers organization.
In particular, Draisaitl stated the following as quoted by NHL.com:
"I'm really, really happy and excited to hopefully be an Oiler for life.”
The statement underscores the genuine affection Draisaitl feels for Edmonton and the local community. He would go on to state:
“I don't know anything other than Edmonton and I feel super proud and excited to wear that jersey every single day.”
Draisaitl has said all the right things about staying in Edmonton.
#2: The Oilers understand Draisaitl’s value to the team
Bowman underscored how important Draisaitl is to the team. He underscored that sentiment by stating:
“The more important part of it is that players like Leon are special. There aren’t many people in the world who can play hockey like he does.”
These words explain why the Oilers were willing to make Leon Draisaitl the highest-paid NHLer. They recognized there was no replacing Draisaitl’s performance. Bowman made that point clear saying:
“There's no way we could ever replace what Leon brings to the table, so he's a huge part of our team. He has been and he will continue to be.”
The contract extension ensures that Draisaitl stays on the team, shutting the door to any possibility of him playing elsewhere in the NHL.
#1: Draisaitl and the Oilers are committed to winning
Bowman addressed the team's commitment to winning:
“All you have to do is watch the team on the ice to see what an important role he plays on the team; not just last year, but the last several years as well.”
That statement sums up Draisaitl’s brilliant track record. But Bowman also highlighted that it’s not just up to Draisaitl to win games. Bowman referred to the support Draisaitl and Connor McDavid need:
“It's our job to try to surround him with the best players we can and give our team the best chance to win.”
That job has become somewhat harder given the potential Salary Cap restrictions the Oilers might face next season when Draisaitl’s new deal kicks in. Nevertheless, Bowman has proven he’s capable of doing a good job this offseason.
So, it seems that Draisaitl’s new deal is a major step in the right direction.
