Pros and Cons of the Edmonton Oilers' Eight-Year Extension for Leon Draisaitl

The Edmonton Oilers' decision to sign Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year contract extension with a $14-million average annual value brings significant positives and notable challenges for the team.

It's a huge deal for an elite-level talent. Edmonton gets a top star to commit to the team and the city for the longest term possible.

But the Oilers still have to build a competitive roster around what currently stands as the highest AAV in the NHL next season, with Evan Bouchard still to re-sign for 2025-26.

Here are some of the pros and cons of Draisaitl's monumental contract.

Draisaitl is among the NHL's most prolific players, with 713 points and 297 goals since 2017. He is a cornerstone of the Oilers' roster. 

Retaining a player of his caliber ensures Edmonton has one of the league’s top offensive threats locked in through the 2032-33 season.

Draisaitl is incredibly talented in all offensive areas, but his ability on the power play and in clutch moments gives the Oilers a real weapon. With 130 power-play goals and 53 game-winning goals, he is critical to the team’s success.

Not only is Draisaitl a star, but he's good friends with Connor McDavid. The former's deal means the latter also re-signing is much more probable. 

Draisaitl’s consistent performance and leadership qualities are invaluable to the Oilers and their window to win a Stanley Cup. 

Not only does he tell the rest of the roster he's staying and believes in this franchise, but everyone else knows he believes in the organization's plan. 

Draisaitl has excelled in regular-season and playoff settings, ranking among the top players in goals, assists and power-play contributions. His new deal reinforces the decisions for others to stay and the reasoning for more players to re-sign and have one of their best chances of winning a Cup.

Not only does signing Draisaitl to a long-term deal send a strong message to the team and its fans about the Oilers' commitment to winning, but future players considering the Oilers know an elite star will be there. 

While his next contract currently stands as the largest in the league, he could have potentially gotten more. TSN's Ryan Rishaug wrote it could have been more if he hit free agency next summer.

At $14 million per year, Draisaitl's hefty salary will consume a significant portion of the Oilers' salary cap. It could potentially limit their flexibility in acquiring other players or re-signing current ones.

As the salary cap increases, this may be less of an issue over time. PuckPedia speculated that Draisaitl's contract starts with the cap very likely to increase by at least five percent.

In Draisaitl's final year of his current contract, his $8.5-million cap hit counts for about 9.7 percent of the salary cap. If the cap were to stay at $88 million next year, Draisaitl's new contract would count for about 15.91 percent. Even if the cap increased to $92.4 million in 2025-26, Draisaitl would still count for about 15.15 percent.

That doesn't factor in Bouchard needing a new contract after this upcoming season and almost certainly getting a raise on his $3.9-million cap hit. And in the summer of 2026, McDavid should also get a big raise on his $12.5-million cap hit. 

While the Oilers made the right move to keep Draisaitl and would undoubtedly be right to keep McDavid and Bouchard, their percentages of the total salary cap will affect the quality of their depth.

An eight-year deal for any player, regardless of talent, carries risks, especially as they age. While Draisaitl is currently performing at an elite level, there’s always the uncertainty of how his game might change over time, particularly given the physical demands of the NHL.

With such a substantial investment in Draisaitl, the Oilers face increased pressure to win. The expectation is that with their core locked in, the team must build a strong foundation around them and contend for a Stanley Cup. This puts added pressure on management to make smart roster decisions moving forward.

Should the cap not jump like it's projected to, the Oilers could be in a real bind. 

Draisaitl's extension solidifies the Oilers' status as a contender. At the same time, it presents challenges that the team will need to manage carefully to maximize the contract’s value and achieve long-term success over the duration of the deal. 

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