There’s been a lot of talk about <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/30/report-leon-draisaitl-interested-in-long-term-extension-with-the-oilers/">Leon Draisaitl’s contract extension</a> over the last handful of months, and I thought that was the perfect reason to put together another What Would You Do Wednesday to ask you what you would do with our German superstar’s next deal. Ladies and gentlemen, it&#8217;s time to put on your imaginary GM&#8217;s cap and spend some of Daryl Katz&#8217;s money.

As we all know, Leon Draisaitl is heading into the final season of his <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-signs-eight-year-extension-with-edmonton-oilers-worth-68-million">eight-year, $8.5-million AAV deal</a> that he signed under Peter Chiarelli in August of 2017. Despite the deal being widely criticized at the time of its signing, it wasn&#8217;t long before Leon made the haters look ridiculous. Through the first seven years of this deal, Draisaitl has scored 297 goals, 416 assists and 713 points across 528 games, with only Connor McDavid putting up more offence for his team during that span.
On Monday, Oilers GM <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/08/06/edmonton-oilers-leon-draisaitl-begin-contract-talks-with-good-conversation/">Stan Bowman spoke to Derek Van Diest Monday about Draisaitl&#8217;s extension</a> ahead of the Gretzky Hlinka Cup that just kicked off at Rogers Place.
<blockquote>“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. I don’t have an update on where it’s going to be or the timing on that, but there is nothing negative to report, certainly.”</blockquote>
Of course, Bowman was in charge of the Chicago Blackhawks when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane signed matching $10.5 million contracts back in 2014, making him an interesting candidate to man the negotiations. Here&#8217;s what Bowman said when asked if signing Draisaitl to an extension can be compared to what he experienced previously:
<blockquote>“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. 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.”</blockquote>
Needless to say, getting Draisaitl inked up is going to be <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/25/as-oilers-gm-stan-bowman-must-walk-the-walk/">a top priority for the team</a> over the coming days/weeks/months until the season starts, and that&#8217;s why I wanted to ask all of you where you think this deal will land in terms of dollars. Given the Oilers&#8217; current salary cap constraints, the team probably won&#8217;t be able to give Draisaitl everything he wants — nor should they — but I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if they get pretty damned close.
For the purposes of this article, however, I&#8217;m asking what YOU want to see happen here. I want to dive into the land of make-believe and see how close we can all get to predicting what the number looks like.
<h2>THE COMPARABLES</h2>
Before you&#8217;re able to give your verdict on how much money Draisaitl will get, I thought it would be a good idea to dig into some of the biggest contracts awarded to forwards over the last handful of years. When considering contract comparables for Leon Draisaitl, I wanted to look at players of similar skill, production, position, and contract length. Draisaitl’s current contract — signed in August of 2017 — carries an average annual value (AAV) of <a href="https://puckpedia.com/team/edmonton-oilers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$8.5 million for one more season</a>.
Here are some comparables based on players who have signed contracts in the last few years:
1. Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) 
&#8211; Contract Details: 8 years, $100.8 million total, $12.6 million AAV. 
&#8211; Signed: September 2022.
2. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) 
&#8211; Contract Details: 4 years, $53 million total, $13.25 million AAV. 
&#8211; Signed: August 2023.
3. David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins) 
-Contract Details: 8 years, $90 million total, $11.25 million AAV. 
-Signed: March 2023
4. William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) 
-Contract Details: 8 years, $92 million, $11.50 million AAV. 
Signed: January 2024
5. Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche) 
Contract Details: 6 years, $55.5 million total, $9.25 million AAV. 
Signed: September 2019.
6. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) 
&#8211; Contract Details: 7 years, $81.5 million total, $11.642 million AAV. 
&#8211; Signed: July 2019.
7. Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres/Vegas Golden Knights) 
&#8211; Contract Details: 8 years, $80 million total, $10 million AAV. 
&#8211; Signed: October 2017.
8. Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) 
Contract Details: 8 years, $76 million total, $9.5 million AAV. 
Signed: July 2018.
9. Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs) 
&#8211; Contract Details: 6 years, $65.358 million total, $10.893 million AAV. 
&#8211; Signed: September 2019.
Now, before you get on me in the comments section, I understand that these contract comparables aren&#8217;t exactly perfect. My intention here was that I wanted to put together a group of impact forwards who have signed deals somewhat recently to show what kind of money has been handed out around the NHL over the last handful of years. It&#8217;s a fair bet that the average annual value of Draisaitl&#8217;s next deal will be higher than any of these players and that he&#8217;ll set a new precedent for star forwards.
<h2>THE WRAP…</h2>
<figure id="attachment_152341" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152341" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-152341" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-152341" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 22, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Los Angeles Kings in game one of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
<hr />
From my side of the computer screen, Leon Draisaitl&#8217;s current contract is a bargain given his production and importance to the team, especially in light of more recent contracts that have been signed around the league. When comparing him to other top-tier forwards, especially those signing new contracts as the salary cap increases, Draisaitl&#8217;s deal has provided excellent value for the Edmonton Oilers. Of course, that $8.5 million AAV is going to see a significant jump when this extension kicks in a year from now, and that&#8217;s where you come in. You&#8217;re the GM in this situation, and I want to read how ruthless you&#8217;d be as a negotiator.
For this week&#8217;s What Would You Do Wednesday, I&#8217;m asking how high you would go on Lon Draisaitl&#8217;s next contract if you were in charge of negotiations. Are you writing him a blank check? Is there a number you tap out at? Maybe you would trade him while his value is at its highest?
<h2>PRESENTED BY bet365</h2>
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There’s been a lot of talk about <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/30/report-leon-draisaitl-interested-in-long-term-extension-with-the-oilers/">Leon Draisaitl’s contract extension</a> over the last handful of months, and I thought that was the perfect reason to put together another What Would You Do Wednesday to ask you what you would do with our German superstar’s next deal. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to put on your imaginary GM's cap and spend some of Daryl Katz's money.



As we all know, Leon Draisaitl is heading into the final season of his <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/leon-draisaitl-signs-eight-year-extension-with-edmonton-oilers-worth-68-million">eight-year, $8.5-million AAV deal</a> that he signed under Peter Chiarelli in August of 2017. Despite the deal being widely criticized at the time of its signing, it wasn't long before Leon made the haters look ridiculous. Through the first seven years of this deal, Draisaitl has scored 297 goals, 416 assists and 713 points across 528 games, with only Connor McDavid putting up more offence for his team during that span.

On Monday, Oilers GM <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/08/06/edmonton-oilers-leon-draisaitl-begin-contract-talks-with-good-conversation/">Stan Bowman spoke to Derek Van Diest Monday about Draisaitl's extension</a> ahead of the Gretzky Hlinka Cup that just kicked off at Rogers Place.
<blockquote>“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. I don’t have an update on where it’s going to be or the timing on that, but there is nothing negative to report, certainly.”</blockquote>
Of course, Bowman was in charge of the Chicago Blackhawks when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane signed matching $10.5 million contracts back in 2014, making him an interesting candidate to man the negotiations. Here's what Bowman said when asked if signing Draisaitl to an extension can be compared to what he experienced previously:
<blockquote>“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. 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.”</blockquote>
Needless to say, getting Draisaitl inked up is going to be <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/07/25/as-oilers-gm-stan-bowman-must-walk-the-walk/">a top priority for the team</a> over the coming days/weeks/months until the season starts, and that's why I wanted to ask all of you where you think this deal will land in terms of dollars. Given the Oilers' current salary cap constraints, the team probably won't be able to give Draisaitl everything he wants — nor should they — but I wouldn't be surprised if they get pretty damned close.

For the purposes of this article, however, I'm asking what YOU want to see happen here. I want to dive into the land of make-believe and see how close we can all get to predicting what the number looks like.
<h2>THE COMPARABLES</h2>
Before you're able to give your verdict on how much money Draisaitl will get, I thought it would be a good idea to dig into some of the biggest contracts awarded to forwards over the last handful of years. When considering contract comparables for Leon Draisaitl, I wanted to look at players of similar skill, production, position, and contract length. Draisaitl’s current contract — signed in August of 2017 — carries an average annual value (AAV) of <a href="https://puckpedia.com/team/edmonton-oilers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$8.5 million for one more season</a>.

Here are some comparables based on players who have signed contracts in the last few years:

1. Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
- Contract Details: 8 years, $100.8 million total, $12.6 million AAV.
- Signed: September 2022.

2. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
- Contract Details: 4 years, $53 million total, $13.25 million AAV.
- Signed: August 2023.

3. David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins)
-Contract Details: 8 years, $90 million total, $11.25 million AAV.
-Signed: March 2023

4. William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs)
-Contract Details: 8 years, $92 million, $11.50 million AAV.
Signed: January 2024

5. Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche)
Contract Details: 6 years, $55.5 million total, $9.25 million AAV.
Signed: September 2019.

6. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers)
- Contract Details: 7 years, $81.5 million total, $11.642 million AAV.
- Signed: July 2019.

7. Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres/Vegas Golden Knights)
- Contract Details: 8 years, $80 million total, $10 million AAV.
- Signed: October 2017.

8. Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Contract Details: 8 years, $76 million total, $9.5 million AAV.
Signed: July 2018.

9. Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs)
- Contract Details: 6 years, $65.358 million total, $10.893 million AAV.
- Signed: September 2019.

Now, before you get on me in the comments section, I understand that these contract comparables aren't exactly perfect. My intention here was that I wanted to put together a group of impact forwards who have signed deals somewhat recently to show what kind of money has been handed out around the NHL over the last handful of years. It's a fair bet that the average annual value of Draisaitl's next deal will be higher than any of these players and that he'll set a new precedent for star forwards.
<h2>THE WRAP…</h2>
[caption id="attachment_152341" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-152341" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23092718-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl" width="1024" height="683" /> Apr 22, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Los Angeles Kings in game one of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

<hr />

From my side of the computer screen, Leon Draisaitl's current contract is a bargain given his production and importance to the team, especially in light of more recent contracts that have been signed around the league. When comparing him to other top-tier forwards, especially those signing new contracts as the salary cap increases, Draisaitl's deal has provided excellent value for the Edmonton Oilers. Of course, that $8.5 million AAV is going to see a significant jump when this extension kicks in a year from now, and that's where you come in. You're the GM in this situation, and I want to read how ruthless you'd be as a negotiator.

For this week's What Would You Do Wednesday, I'm asking how high you would go on Lon Draisaitl's next contract if you were in charge of negotiations. Are you writing him a blank check? Is there a number you tap out at? Maybe you would trade him while his value is at its highest?
<h2>PRESENTED BY bet365</h2>
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WWYDW: How high would you go on Leon Draisaitl’s next contract?

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