Leon Draisaitl New Contract Shows A Commitment to Edmonton and Winning

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers announced Leon Draisaitl‘s new eight-year, $112 million extension. The new extension kicks in next year and carries an AAV of $14 million.

NHL News: The Edmonton Oilers Extend Leon Draisaitl for Eight Years

It was the goal of new general manager Stan Bowman to get a deal done with Draisaitl before training camp started. However, there was so much uncertainty with Draisaitl and the Oilers as he entered the final year of the eight-year deal he signed back in 2017.

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Leon Draisaitl Signs New Deal in Edmonton #letsgooilers pic.twitter.com/4PpLSuQuNf

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The Edmonton Oilers were close to winning the Stanley Cup, falling to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Their moves this off-season show they want another run with this group.

As TSN’s Edmonton Bureau Chief explained, Leon Draisaitl’s new eight-year extension shows his willingness not to take a max deal and his commitment to winning with the Oilers.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

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Ryan Rishaug: “In the past four seasons, Leon Draisaitl, one of the more durable superstars in the NHL, is second in total points, behind only Connor McDavid and second in goals only, behind Austin Matthews. He’s also proven himself to be one of the most consistent and efficient scorers at playoff time in the history of the game.

So, it’s no surprise to me that this deal comes in at $14 million. To me, that number actually signifies Draisaitl leaving a little bit of money on the table. I think there would have been significantly more available to him in free agency had he walked through his final year of his contract and gone to free agency next year.

But Draisaitl clearly wants to win. They were so close to winning here in Edmonton, and by doing this deal at this dollar figure, it signifies to me, Draisaitl believes he can win in Edmonton and wants desperately to try and do that, leaving some space for some big deals that the Oilers have to get done over the next couple of seasons in Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid.

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Now, the Connor McDavid conversation that’s going to be interesting. Draisaitl made it clear at the start of last season that he and McDavid and their extensions were going to be completely separate, that one had nothing to do with the other. But I think everybody understands the relationship here and the idea that Draisaitl and McDavid wouldn’t be having some conversations about what the future looks like.

That feels a little bit hard to believe. So I think it’s safe to assume that by signing on for eight more years, it’s definitely a good sign in terms of the Oilers willingness and want to get an extension done with Connor McDavid at this time next year. These two are very good friends off the ice, and we’re so close to winning at all this year, the organization has given them what they need to try and become Stanley Cup Champions.

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They put them in position to try and win Stanley Cups when it comes to superstar players as an organization, that’s what you have to do. You have to give them the tools that they need to build their legacy and the Edmonton Oilers over the last number of years have clearly done that, evidenced by how close they got this year.

So $112 million over eight years. $14 million AAV. A monstrous extension for Leon Draisaitl a monstrous day for this organization set to complete.”

Let’s see if the Edmonton Oilers and Leon Draisaitl can return to the final. They are among the favorites to do so.

What a historic day for the Oilers and Draisaitl. Next up are Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.