Significant development in Leon Draisaitl’s contract situation

Star forward Leon Draisaitl is in control as he enters contract negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers this summer, but it sounds like progress has been made. According to Bob Stauffer, the Oilers are closing in on a contract extension with Draisaitl, following a controversial week with the new hire of general manager Stan Bowman.

“It would not surprise me if Leon were to be signed to an extension shortly,” Stauffer reported on the day of Bowman’s press conference.

Draisaitl enters the last year of his current deal, on an $8.5-million annual salary, and is likely to command a substantial increase, potentially in the range of $13.5 million to $14.5 million per year. His agent Jiri Poner had previously mentioned this summer how the ball was in Edmonton’s court, even sounding like he was giving the team an ultimatum to get a contract agreement done before the end of August.

“There’s no rush yet, but either it happens quickly, by end of August, or it doesn’t work out at all,” Poner said . “It will become clear whether Edmonton wants him or not”.

At that time, president Jeff Jackson has said that he would like a new GM hired to negotiate the extension, and with Bowman now at the reins, things may be in motion to sign Draisaitl as soon as possible.

The signing of Draisaitl to stay put in Edmonton would come as a welcome diversion from the hiring of Bowman, which created a lot of uproar due to the scandal he was previously a part of with the Chicago Blackhawks.

As of right now, the details of the Draisaitl contract are totally unknown, though we all expect a significant raise as he already been playing at a discount of $8.5M the last eight years.

Draisaitl has also seen that the Oilers can be top contenders and, with a new deal in hand, he will be extra motivated to go all the way and hoist the Stanley Cup in the summer of 2025.