Considering that the 2024-25 season will be a landmark run for the Edmonton Oilers, it cannot be denied that the team is eager to ensure that they will have one of their top stars in the game. Securing Leon Draisaitl with a new contract extension will definitely see the team armed and ready for yet another dominant campaign in the years to come.

It has been a quiet set of weeks after the Oilers were eliminated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, where they fell short of completing a historic 0-3 comeback against the Florida Panthers. So far, Draisaitl’s contract has been deemed to be one of the biggest goals for the team this offseason, and now they are keen to ensure that they will get the team intact to compete at a high level.

Considering the fact that Draisaitl has played at a high level last season, it cannot be denied that there are high expectations for him to come back strong in the coming campaign. After all, he has some unfinished business in the game and is definitely poised to make a splashy run should the team secure him for the years to come.

A Coveted Signature

At the age of 28, Leon Draisaitl is entering the final year of his eight-year, $68 million contract that he inked back in August 2017. The star center was already eligible to sign since July 1st, but the Oilers first prioritized its management – bringing in Stan Bowman as GM to replace Ken Holland last July 24th. Of course, His first move would be to secure a high-peforming star like Draisaitl, who has played one of the best hockey games of his career in the previous season.

Draisaitl finished seventh in the league in the 2023-24 season in points with a total of 106 coming off 41 goals and 65 assists. He played a total of 81 games in the regular season and finished third in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 31 points off 10 goals and 21 assists in 25 games.

However, Draisaitl did not score any goals in the Stanley Cup Final, which had him looking like he had jitters and could not even shake off his struggles when it mattered most. The next season is a chance for him to start off anew and prove his worth once more.

Prioritizing Signings for the Oilers

Bowman knows that Draisaitl is clearly important to the team’s success, and signing him is definitely a priority at this point. Edmonton is expected to see more moves in the offseason and even in the next break, which would definitely mean that they are also seeking to bring in McDavid in the long run.

“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,” Bowman said. “I think it’s really hard to find stars in the NHL, so when you have them, the goal is to keep them. The same thing with Connor. Those guys are a huge reason the team’s had a successful run so far, and they will be a big part of the future too.”

It is clear that keeping the championship window for the Oilers will see them keep both Draisaitl and McDavid with a strong supporting cast. Over the years, the Oilers have contended for the playoffs, and this is the best they have ever done in a long time, which means they need to build upon it, and securing a deal with Draisaitl is a start.