The Edmonton Oilers and superstar centre Leon Draisaitl have officially begun contract discussions, general manager Stan Bowman said Monday.
Bowman’s comments were made to NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest Monday with the Gretzky Hlinka Cup launching in Edmonton this week.
“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,” Bowman told Van Diest. “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.”
Draisaitl, 28, is entering the final season of an eight-year, $8.5-million AAV deal signed back in the summer of 2017. While there were a plethora of questions about the deal and what Draisaitl would turn into as an NHL’er, it didn’t take long for his pact to become one of the best in the league.
Since the deal kicked off in the 2017-18 season, Draisaitl’s scored 297 goals, 416 assists and 713 points across 528 games, with the only player who has provided more offence to their team being his teammate and best friend, Connor McDavid. Among all NHL players, Draisaitl’s goal totals rank second, his assists totals rank fifth, while his point total is second to McDavid.
It goes without saying he’s due for a significant raise, and it’s more than within the range of outcomes to see him top Auston Matthews’ $13.25-million cap hit. In Monday’s Oilersnation Mailbag, the contributors — myself included — predicted, on average, Draisaitl’s next deal would carry a cap hit of $13.48-million. That number is right in line with Evolving-Hockey’s projection of $13.5-million.
Draisaitl’s contract will have impacts not only across the NHL, likely raising the bar once again for the most expensive player in the league, but also in Edmonton. If he signs a long-term deal, which all signs are pointing towards, it all but guarantees that McDavid will follow suit next summer when he’s able to sign his next contract.
Bowman enters the negotiations for them, as well as Evan Bouchard, in territory he’s familiar with. After all, he is the one who signed Jonathan Toews in June 2014 to identical eight-year deals paying them $10.5-million AAV’s.
“There are some similarities for sure; Kane and Toews were younger than Leon and Connor were, so they hit the ground running in their young years,” Bowman told Van Diest. “Most of the success we had were their first five, six or seven years in the League. Where Connor and Leon are now, they’re more established in their careers, not just them, [Zach] Hyman and [Ryan] Nugent-Hopkins, you go down the list and there is some pretty good experience with this group.”
In early July, Draisaitl’s other agent, Jiri Poner, told German news outlet Eishockey NEWS he was “very confident” they would be able to come to an agreement with the Oilers “that both sides will be happy with.”
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
