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The Edmonton Oilers are keeping Leon Draisaitl around for the foreseeable future. There were initial reports that the two sides were talking and that the star hockey player was amenable to a discount to stay with the team.
Things reportedly progressed quickly today, and the team has officially inked its star center to a $112 million, eight-year extension.
Per NHL insider Chris Johnston, the Oilers have locked down Draisaitl for the next eight years with an AAV of $14 million. This will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL once the deal kicks in from the 2025-26 NHL season.
$104 million will go to him in signing bonus form. Initial reports were that Draisaitl was looking for $14 million or more per year, and that the Oilers were looking to sign him for around $13 million.
The contract reportedly is front-loaded and includes a full no-move clause throughout.
Examining the Edmonton Oilers' situation after Leon Draisaitl extension
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid were instrumental in getting the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final and their near-historic comeback from down three games to none. They fell short, but it's that nucleus that should drive them moving forward.
McDavid is currently on an extension of his own, and he has two years left on the contract. The Draisaitl deal is done now, and the team will likely begin looking into an extension for McDavid after next season.
If he doesn't sign, then he may hit unrestricted free agency the year after and will likely have a very high price tag. If things go awry, at least the Oilers have locked down Draisaitl for the time being.
With Draisaitl setting the market, it will be interesting to see what McDavid gets (either from Edmonton or someone else) when it's his time to be paid.
Draisaitl is not as heralded as McDavid, but he's a player nearly every team would love to have. The Oilers know that and they're preemptively making sure no other team gets a chance at him.
