Locked and loaded
Oilers sign Draisaitl to eight-year deal
EDMONTON The two biggest cornerstones of the emerging Edmonton Oilers franchise are now locked up for the long haul.
Six weeks after extending Connor McDavid for eight years and US$100 million, the Oilers signed 21-year-old Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year contract of his own with a sizable annual cap hit of $8.5 million. Paired primarily with McDavid, Draisaitl posted a career-best 77 points last season — eighth-best in the NHL.
He added another 16 points during the first Edmonton’s playoff run in more than a decade — separated, eventually, from the precocious Oilers captain.
“I’m really excited to be back for eight years,” Draisaitl told the Oilers website after the signing was announced. “I never really thought about going anywhere else. We have something really special. We have a great group of guys. It’s something I wanted to be a part of as long as possible.”
In securing his long-term rights, the Oilers are betting on Draisaitl, a restricted free agent and one of only seven German NHLers last season, to thrive with or without McDavid, the reigning winner of the Art Ross and Hart trophies and Ted Lindsay Award. The third-overall pick of the 2014 draft, Draisaitl stands to own the 10th highest cap hit in hockey next year — equal to Lightning captain and twotime Rocket Richard trophy winner Steven Stamkos.
Draisaitl’s second NHL deal slightly exceeds recent eightyear pacts handed out to 25year-old Predators centre Ryan Johansen ($8 million cap hit) and 25-year-old Capitals pivot Evgeny Kuznetsov ($7.8 million cap hit).
Both were signing their third NHL deals, however, and are slightly older than Draisaitl, who won’t turn 22 until October 27.
Draisaitl, a natural centre, slid to right wing alongside McDavid at the start of December and went on to notch 60 points in 58 games — good for sixth in the NHL over that span.
In question now and moving forward is whether the Oilers keep the two franchise studs together and have them wreak havoc as a duo, or split them apart for increased depth.
Vying for their first Stanley Cup since 1990, Edmonton is expecting a star regardless.
“Any time you can lock up one of your top players for a lengthy period of time, it’s a good day,” said Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli on the team Twitter account.