There was some hand-wringing and maybe even outright fear in Edmonton that Leon Draisaitl might decide to explore the free agent market and take his talents elsewhere next summer.
He gave Edmonton nine good years and maybe it was time to see what the world had to offer. It’s a reasonable choice that would send the Oilers down a very different, and rather unnerving, path.
But, as it turns out, the German superstar wasn’t going anywhere.
Turns out he loves Edmonton as much as the city loves him and couldn’t really imagine walking away for good.
“I have a hard time picturing myself in another jersey, I wanted to be an Oiler for life,” Draisaitl said after signing an eight-year $112 million contract extension Tuesday that gives him the highest average annual salary ($14 million) in league history.
“I love nothing more than wearing that jersey. With what we’ve built over the last couple of years and how at home I feel in Edmonton, I think we’re building something really special and it’s something I want to continue to be a part of and hopefully get it one step further.”
This not only puts to rest any concern that the 28-year-old might be playing out his final season with the Oilers, it keeps their Stanley Cup window open long into the future. Certainly a lot longer than if he wasn’t here.
“This was my top priority when I took over,” said Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman. “Players like Leon are special. There are not many people in the world who can play hockey like he does. There is no way we can replace what Leon brings to the table.”
Draisaitl had some very attractive options had he decided to play out his final season and explore unrestricted free agency. There are some good teams in some great cities that would have opened the door and emptied their wallets for him, but he wanted to stay in Edmonton and finish what he started here nine years ago.
“We haven’t got the job done yet but to me that makes it even more special,” he said. “We’re going to do this together. We’re all pulling on the same rope.
“All the new guys coming in say the same things about our group, about our city. They love playing in Edmonton. We’ve created that over the last couple of years and that’s very special.”
It represents a seismic shift in how the city and the organization are viewed in the eyes of the NHL. Edmonton was once a place that free agents would rather avoid, but an opportunity to win, state-of-the-art facilities, a tight-knit dressing room and a playoff atmosphere that is second to none in all of sports has superstars locking in for the long haul and established veterans coming here on discount deals.
“We’ve created friendships over the years, our wives, fiancé’s, and girlfriends have created friendships, forever lasting friendships and that’s really, really special.
“Our main priority is to win, but what we’ve created off the ice is almost just as important. People want to come here and when they do come it’s hard for them to leave. We’ve created that over the last couple of years and that’s something we’re really proud of.”
Draisaitl was also willing to leave some money on the table, accepting less than what would have been available in free agency, in order to help the Oilers manage their financial situation, but cap-wise, this is still a very top-heavy team.
With Draisaitl at $14 million when the deal kicks in next season, McDavid at $12.5 million and about to set a new standard in NHL salaries, Darnell Nurse at $9.5 million and Evan Bouchard up for a hefty raise at the end of this season, they will have four players eating up about half of the available cap space.
The salary cap is expected to rise over the next few years but it still makes for a delicate balance when constructing the roster. While he has the foundational pieces in place, and filled the roster with affordable veterans Adam Henrique, Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Connor Brown and Matias Janmark for the next couple of years, the brass will have a lot of hustling to do moving forward.
“There are going to be challenges in the future but that’s for us to figure out down the road,” said Bowman. “The math is what it is. For now, we’re just thrilled that he’s with us.”
While he and captain Connor McDavid aren’t joined at the hip, you have to think that Draisaitl’s decision is based partly on knowing that McDavid plans to lock in here as well when his term is up in two years.
“Connor is going to do what’s best for him, that’s just the way this works,” said Draisaitl, adding he and McDavid have had many discussions about the future. “I did what I thought was best for me personally. Do I hope that he follows along? Of course, I want him to stay on board. I want all of the pieces to stay on board.”
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