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Leon Draisaitl will turn 29 on October 27th, but before his birthday, he received the biggest surprise from the Edmonton Oilers. Draisaitl agreed to an eight-year, $112 million contract extension with the franchise. The extension kicks in next season and follows his current $68 million contract, which expires after this season.
Draisaitl shared his excitement on Instagram, posting photos from last season’s Stanley Cup Finals with the caption:
"Loyal to the OIL."
Since the 2018-19 season, Draisaitl has been one of the NHL's best players. He is second in points and goals to his teammate Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews. Analysts proposed that Draisaitl could join the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, or Boston Bruins, but he chose to stay with Edmonton.
The rumors started popping up soon after the Oilers lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Florida Panthers last season. But Draisaitl expressed his choice to sign with the Oilers.
"Obviously I love being an Oiler more than anything," Draisaitl said on June 26 (via NHL.com). "We'll figure it out when we get there."
Oilers' GM Stan Bowman called Leon Draisaitl's signing "historic"
Leon Draisaitl scored 106 points (41 goals, 65 assists) in 81 games last season. He scored 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 25 games in the playoffs. However, his performance dwindled in the Stanley Cup finals series against the Florida Panthers. But it wasn't enough to shake the Oilers's confidence in Draisaitl's potential.
"This is a historic day for the Edmonton Oilers," Oilers GM Stan Bowman said via NHL.com. "Leon's commitment to our team, our city and Oilers fans everywhere cannot be overstated. His desire to help bring a Stanley Cup title home to Edmonton is central to everything he does both on and off the ice."
Leon Draisaitl, picked third overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, has 850 points (347 goals, 503 assists) in 719 regular-season games and 108 points (41 goals) in playoffs. He has won the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award.
