Draisaitl and Oilers “far apart” in contract negotiations with deadline looming

Buckle up, Oilers fans... there could be a bumpy road ahead.

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Edmonton Oilers and superstar forward Leon Draisaitl are far apart in contract extension negotiations. You have to imagine that both sides are in agreement on a long-term deal, but Seravalli reports that the two sides are far apart on total dollars and annual average value.

From Seravalli:

If I'm an Oilers fan, this report makes me very, VERY nervous.

Draisaitl is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason and could leave the Oilers in the lurch. And if the Oilers can't come to terms with Draisaitl, you have to imagine that that will factor into negotiations with superstar captain Connor McDavid a year from now.

No Draisaitl = No McDavid.

It's absolutely imperative that the Oilers get Draisaitl under contract and the sooner, the better. 

Oilers insider Joshua Marshall reports that Draisaitl will not sign a contract once the 2024-25 season starts.

"Leon Draisaitl is scheduled to be in Edmonton within the next couple of days," Marshall reported yesterday. "This was a week that was very important to get this done. Talks will pick up as him & Stan Bowman will meet in person.

"If there is no deal to be signed before September 19th, Leon won’t negotiate during the season. The goal is to get this done before that date as Leon doesn’t want this to be a problem or a distraction going into training camp."

Again, if I'm an Oilers fan all of this makes me very, VERY nervous.