Leon Draisaitl contract negotiations begin with Stan Bowman

Leon Draisaitl is entering the final year of his contract in Edmonton.

He currently earns $8.5 million per season… And of course, there’s no denying that he’ll be in line for a sizeable salary increase.

Especially with the salary cap set to rise over the next few years!

But even though the Oilers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last season, the possibility of the German leaving Edmonton cold has been discussed in the past.

Speaking of logical teams for him, the names of the Sharks and Bruins came up relatively often… But that didn’t mean he’d leave.

That said, Oilers fans can breathe a little easier today.

Derek Van Diest, who covers the club for the NHL’s official website, wrote a piece this morning saying that negotiations have (finally) begun between the Oilers and the player’s clan.

Stan Bowman likes the way things are going so far, by the way:

I don’t have an update on when it’s going to happen, but there’s certainly nothing negative to report right now. – Stan Bowman

#Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said he had a good conversation with Leon Draisaitl’s agent on a contract extension, but he doesn’t have a timeline for when it’ll get done. #NHL @NHLdotcom https://t.co/5GRFlDkE9S

– Derek Van Diest (@DerekVanDiest) August 6, 2024

It really is a do or die situation for the Oilers.

They have to be able to come to an agreement with him before next summer… Otherwise, he could leave for free to another team on the free agent market.

And the Oilers can’t afford that.

They’ll take a huge step backwards if that happens, and in the end, the team has to find a way to please its captain.

Need I remind you that McDavid’s contract expires the following year, in the summer of 2026?

If Draisaitl leaves, the Oilers are unable to replace him and McDavid finds himself all alone out there, it could be difficult for Stan Bowman to convince him to stay.

But if Leon Draisaitl could be signed for the long term… Things would be very different.