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Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are one of the best duos in the NHL. While the pair have yet to hoist a Stanley Cup together, they have continued to impress, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, where they narrowly lost to the Florida Panthers in a seven-game series.
Heading into this offseason, it was no secret that Draisaitl and McDavid were entering extension talks. The 2024-25 season was the final year on Draisaitl's contract, with the 2025-26 season being the last on Connor McDavid's.
Given that the two have been joined at the hip in Edmonton, the belief was that if Draisaitl signed an extension to stay with the Oilers, McDavid likely would too. This week, Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers agreed to an eight-year extension worth a whopping $112 million.
When the extension kicks in during the 2025–26 season, Draisaitl will become the highest-paid player in the NHL. Given that he has decided to remain with the team, the expectation is that Connor McDavid will wind up re-signing with the franchise when the time comes.
Despite that, Draisaitl's eight-year contract could have some big implications for Connor McDavid and the Oilers. Given that McDavid's current contract takes up 15.72% of the team's cap, Draisaitl's new extension will further put Edmonton in a tight spot when it comes to the salary cap.
Looking further at how Leon Draisaitl's contract extension could impact Connor McDavid's future with the Edmonton Oilers
After coming so close to winning the Stanley Cup last season, it's no surprise that the Edmonton Oilers are in win-now mode. With two young standouts in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, it's no wonder that the organization is aiming to capitalize on their prime years.
Leon Draisaitl will be making $14 million per year, accounting for 15.22% of the team's salary cap. Additionally, for the 2025–26 season, Connor McDavid's contract will account for another 13.59% of the cap.
McDavid is reportedly seeking a sizable extension after the 2025–26 season. This could put the Oilers in a tough spot, as two of their players would then occupy around 30% of their cap space. The team may need to make tough decisions, such as sacrificing role players or finding creative ways to work around the salary cap.
For example, earlier this summer, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff theorized that the Oilers could take a page out of the Carolina Hurricanes' book and utilize deferred payment contracts to keep the duo together.
This would, of course, also free up other cap space so that the team could maintain its current group of role players or bring in new free agents.
