Oilers GM hoping to have Draisaitl extension completed soon

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Cooper Godin
August 10, 2024 (3:32 PM)

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Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman is reportedly hoping to have Leon Draisaitl's contract extension completed soon.

The Edmonton Oilers recently hired Stan Bowman as their new General Manager after Ken Holland left to team with his contract up at the end of June.

Bowman will have plenty of work ahead of him in the coming 12 months and the first order of business will be to lock up one of the team's superstars - Leon Draisaitl. The German forward became eligible to sign a contract extension back on July 1st, but there didn't appear to be any urgency from either side as they both knew a deal would get done eventually.

Recently, Derek van Diest of NHL.com spoke with Stan Bowman, who was at the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup doing some scouting and asked about contract discussions with Leon Draisait. Bowman said that he's had talks with Draisaitl's agent and that it was a good conversation with nothing negative to report on. The Oilers are hoping to get a contract signed soon, with Bowman wanting to ensure Draisaitl remains in Edmonton for the remainder of his NHL career.

"I had a good conversation (with Draisaitl's agent Mike Liut) and we're starting things off and the timing on that will be what it will be," Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. "I don't have an update of where it's going to be or the timing on that, but there is nothing negative to report, certainly."

He added, "Leon is a super-talented player, a huge part of what we're doing, and he has been and will be for some time and that hasn't changed at all. I think it's really hard to find stars in the NHL, so when you have them, the goal is to keep them."

Next summer, more specifically July 1st, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid will be eligible to sign an extension with the team and they expect the highest paid player in NHL history when all is said and done. Currently, McDavid is earning $12.5 million per season, but with the salary cap rising next season and again in the years to come, it's safe to say that McDavid could be looking at a deal worth $16-$16.5 million per season.

As for Leon Draisaitl, he's also in line for a significant pay raise. Draisaitl is currently making $8.5 million and with how he's played in recent years, there's no doubt he'll be looking at at $12 or $13 million deal. In the first seven years of Draisaitl's current eight-year contract, he's recorded 100 or more points five times and has reached the 50+ goal mark on three occasions.

It'll be interesting to see what Draisaitl's contract looks like when it becomes official, but he's certainly earned a big pay raise and should be inside the top-ten in terms of AAV starting in 2025-26.

Source: Derek van Diest/NHL.com
Oilers have �nothing negative to report' on contract talks with Draisaitl