Leon Draisaitl had a hard time picturing himself playing in the NHL wearing anything but an Edmonton Oilers jersey, and the result of that is a long-term commitment to the organization’s pursuit of the Stanley Cup as the highest-paid player in hockey.
Draisaitl on Tuesday signed an eight-year extension worth $112 million, a deal that gives the German star the top salary cap hit in NHL history at $14 million. The new contract, the second richest in total dollars in league history, begins with the 2025-26 season and runs through 2033.
“For me, it was always the Oilers,” Draisaitl said on a video call with reporters. “Obviously we haven’t gotten the job done yet, which makes it to me even more special. We’re going to do this together. We’re all pulling on the same rope here. I’m excited to be a part of it and excited to keep chipping away at the ultimate goal, and we all know what that is.”
Draisaitl’s landmark deal got done a little over two months since he, Connor McDavid and their teammates nearly pulled off a historic comeback in the Stanley Cup final, erasing a 3-0 series deficit before losing to Florida by one goal in Game 7. Draisaitl had 31 points in 25 games on that run.
He could have become a free agent next summer. Avoiding that and getting him signed to a long-term contract was the organization’s top offseason priority.
“Players like Leon are special: There’s not many people in the world that can play hockey like he does,” said general manager Stan Bowman, who was hired in late July. “There’s no way we could ever replace what Leon brings to the table. He’s a huge part of our team, he has been and he will continue to be.”
Draisaitl surpasses Auston Matthews’ $13.25 million cap hit with this new contract, which nearly doubles his salary. The 28-year-old Draisaitl is making $8.5 million on average on his current contract, which was signed in 2017 and became one of the most team-friendly in the league.
The contract trails only the $124 million over 13 years Alex Ovechkin signed for back in 2008 as the biggest the NHL has seen. It comes with the salary cap expected to increase again in ’25-26, likely over $90 million or more, as league revenues keep growing to record levels.
“Certainly there’s going to be challenges in the future, but that’s for us to figure out down the road,” Bowman said. “We’ll figure the other stuff out down the road, but for now we’re…