“Of course I love being an Oiler more than anything else”: Leon Draisaitl on his contract negotiations with Edmonton

Article content

This comes from Edmonton Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl. He told reporters he would take time to consider his future path, but also gave a clear indication that his heart is definitely set on remaining an Edmonton Oiler.

“I’m going to give you the most boring answer here,” he said. “I’m obviously going to sit down with my agents here and talk to the Oilers, see what their plan is, see what our plan is and just go from there. Obviously I haven’t had time to think about it. It hasn’t been on my mind much lately. It’s just something that takes a little bit of time to figure out what I want, what the Oilers want, what everybody wants and then go from there and figure something out.”

Article content

When asked if he would consider signing with another team, he said, “I mean, Edmonton has the only chance to sign me, so I guess they’re first, yeah. We’ll see. I’ll leave it at that. Of course, I love being an Oiler more than anything. I’ll leave it at that.”

Former NHL star and ESPN hockey commentator Ray Ferraro offered his own speculation today about how contract negotiations between Draisaitl and the Oilers might turn out.

Speaking to TSN’s Darren Dreger on the Ray & Dregs podcast, Ferraro said that given the physical and mental toll on players, the Edmonton Oilers should make it clear to Draisaitl that they want to re-sign him, but give him time to recover and only begin contract talks when he is ready.

“I would make sure there’s no misunderstanding that I want to sign him. I would also make sure he understands, ‘I’m waiting for you to agree to talk,'” Ferraro said. “When this is over, he’s not going to be rubbing nickels together.”

“The Oilers don’t need until July 1 to put the offer together, they’ve already done it,” Ferraro said. “What do people think managers do when the Stanley Cup is on the line? They have nothing else to do. This is a boulder rolling towards them. They have to do something about it.”

Article content

Article content

If Draisaitl tells the Oilers that he will not sign a new contract until the end of the 2024-25 season, the Oilers will have to accept that, according to Ferraro.

“If he says that, what are you going to do? Trade him? No chance?” Ferraro said. “And one more thing: What if that happened – now we’re just being silly – and they hold a press conference on July 1 of next year and behind the scenes they bring out Connor and Leon on contracts of the same length. If he doesn’t want to sign now, he’s holding all the cards. No, he doesn’t. The only card the Oilers have is the eighth-year one. That’s all. And if you ever played War with cards as a kid and you have one card left in the deck, at some point you have to say, ‘You win.’ And that’s the way it is with the player when you’re a player like Draisaitl.”

At the Oilers’ last locker room meeting today, we also learned from Oilers reporter Tony Brar that Oilers coach Kris Knoblach mentioned in his media scrum that Draisaitl had rib and hand injuries: “There were games where we weren’t sure if he could play. But he always did.”

McDavid also continued playing despite an injury, but Knoblauch would not say what the injury was.

Article content

My opinion

1. If Draisaitl were playing poker here, the statement “Of course I love being an Oiler more than anything else” would be a pretty clear indication.

Glad to hear that. He may not be putting his name on a new contract, but it’s the next best thing. As for me, having Draisaitl and Connor McDavid as Oilers is also at the top of the list of things I love. I think I speak for most fans when I say that.

2. It’s nice to hear from the clear-eyed Ferraro, who is married to a hockey executive and was one of the two or three best hockey analysts of this century. He speaks well from the players’ perspective and has some good advice for the Oilers here, although I’d add a few points. This negotiation is unlike almost any other negotiation you’ll find in the NHL. It’s not necessarily about a player and his agent scrambling to squeeze out every dollar they can. It’s about a superstar, one of the five best in the world, on a team with all of his best friends and with an excellent chance of winning the Stanley Cup in the years to come. It’s a player who could probably get a maximum of 20 percent of the salary cap on the open market if he wanted it with all his heart. But it’s a player who knows that the more money he takes, the less money his Oilers will have to sign other necessary ingredients for a Stanley Cup run, and the less his chances of winning the Cup become. Draisaitl had also already earned more than $50 million in his career.

Article content

3. We don’t know what factors Draisaitl will consider when it comes to when he signs, how much he signs for, and how long his contract is. But I will note that Sportsnet’s Mark Spector said on X today:
“A common theme among upcoming UFAs – especially the older ones: The decision is about how much I want to stay in the EDM and pursue a Cup, or go somewhere else and take the risk of watching the Oilers win without you.”

4. Oilers forward Connor Brown, an unrestricted free agent, told reporters he couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else. “This is where I want to be. My heart is here.” TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji also quoted Mattias Janmark, also an unrestricted free agent, as saying, “At this point in your career, all you think about is winning.”

5. Adam Henrique explained his intentions as a UFA: “I loved coming here and having the opportunity to chase the Cup and play with the guys here. I felt like I fit in well with the group. I don’t think there’s anything on the table for me and we’ll just wait this week or next week until everything gets sorted out… I think winning comes at a price when you’re on a team like Edmonton that’s so close… For me, it’s kind of a renewal of passion for the game… As far as money goes, I realize it might cost something. Whatever that is, it might be worth it in the end… I don’t think money is the most important thing to me in my career and where I’m at.”

Article content

And Warren Foegele: “I haven’t really thought much about free agents… I’ve always enjoyed my time here. I’ve made so many great friends. I love the city. The fans have been great to me. Of course I’d like to stay here, but I also know it’s a business. They have to want me too. It’s a two-way street. But I love my time here. And I hope everyone knows that I’ve always tried my hardest whenever I’ve been there. I’ve always tried hard.”

And Vincent Desharnais also wants to stay in Edmonton: “Hopefully we can make it work”

At the cult of hockey

STAPLES: Nonsense about Draisaitl negotiations in circulation

STAPLES: Game 7 sets viewership records for ESPN and Sportsnet

STAPLES: Depressed about the Oilers? This will cheer you up

Article content