Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl Says Connor McDavid Will “Do Better For Him” ​​In Next Contract – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have finally completed a contract extension with legendary forward Leon Draisaitl, as they announced Tuesday (Sept. 3) morning that they have extended him eight additional seasons at a standard annual salary of $14 million. After months of speculation and some anxiety starting to creep into the minds of Oilers fans, the deal is finally done. At this stage of his career, Draisaitl is playing for one of the strongest teams in the NHL as they look to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history. With one business plan in place, it’s time for them to focus on having a solid 2024-25 campaign before moving on to re-signing Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid.

Related: Edmonton Oilers Monster Contract Extension for Leon Draisaitl

Draisaitl met with the media and general manager Stan Bowman shortly after signing the new extension and answered some questions about the negotiation process, what thoughts led him to make this decision, and his goals for the future with the Oilers. Some comments raised eyebrows from some fans around the league, especially when Draisaitl was asked about McDavid’s future in Edmonton.

When asked to offer insight into where McDavid plans to go, now that his contract is up after the 2025-26 season, Draisaitl made sure not to give too much away about his “dynamic-duo” partner. In response, Draisaitl revealed that he’s making sure he’s doing the best he can with his career moving forward, and he believes that’s exactly what McDavid will do. While no one expected Draisaitl to give a straight answer, this one has fans wondering if there’s a small chance McDavid is considering other options.

No Reason to Worry Oilers Fans

Despite a potentially troubling response from Draisaitl, there’s no reason to believe McDavid won’t be an Oiler for life. His excitement on social media in response to Draisaitl’s extension, mixed with his pride in being the team’s captain, are a few reasons that indicate he has no intention of considering signing elsewhere. The Oilers are likely to focus on locking up Bouchard before they talk to McDavid about an extension, but there is no doubt that both deals will be done.

Even with this amount of money dedicated to one player, the Oilers still have the ability to bring everyone back next season while paying them what they deserve. Currently, they have $15 million in cap space and six players who need new contracts next summer, including Bouchard. With Draisaitl getting a bit of a pay cut considering what he could do on the open market, it should encourage all of the Oilers’ stars to follow suit.

One issue the Oilers could run into is Darnell Nurse’s contract because it does two things. First, it increases the value of Bouchard. Second, if the Oilers find themselves looking for money and Nesi is the player they choose to move, his no-movement clause forces the team to buy him out. However, they should be able to use his $9.25 billion cap hit and continue to create a championship contender.

When you compare the Oilers’ roster to the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes — all contenders with a lot of money tied up in their superstars — it’s easy to see why some fans in the game question their motives. tied for nearly $40 million for just three players. Fortunately, with the salary increase every season, combined with the window the Oilers are in to try to win a championship, they should have no problem trying to bring Edmonton Stanley Cups in the next few seasons.