Leon Draisaitl's Agent Puts Ball in Oilers Court

As contract talks with Leon Draisaitl continue, the Edmonton Oilers will have to decide what's best for them.

Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (29) warms up prior to the game against the Florida Panthers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

When the NHL’s free agency period opened, Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl became eligible to sign a contract extension. About to enter the final year of an eight-year deal signed in 2017, Draisaitl and the Oilers have reached a fork in their road together.

Draisaitl has been one of the best players in the entire NHL for the better part of a decade, putting up 850 points (347G-503A) in 719 games. Usually playing behind the game’s biggest star, Connor McDavid, Draisaitl has stolen the spotlight in Edmonton on several occasions.

Despite two of the game’s best players on the same roster, the Oilers are yet to reach the NHL’s mountaintop. The closest they’ve come to winning the Stanley Cup was storming back from a 3-0 deficit in the 2024 Final, only to lose in Game 7.

McDavid and Draisaitl's futures have come into question without a Cup under their belts. For Draisaitl, his future may become clear much quicker.

Draisaitl’s agent, Jiri Poner, told Eishockey News in Germany that the ball is in the Oilers’ court.

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

Poner believes Draisaitl has been playing “at least 30% below his value” for several seasons. Coming off of a deal that earned him just $8.5 million against the salary cap, it’s obvious why he may think that.

Since signing the deal, Draisaitl has cruised past 100 points in a season five times, including each of the last three years. He won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 2020 and has looked like a better playoff performer on multiple occasions than McDavid.

In 74 playoff games, Draisaitl has 41 goals and 67 assists for 108 total points. McDavid may have won the Conn Smythe Trophy this past playoffs, but Draisaitl regularly keeps up with McDavid’s pace.

There may be questions surrounding Draisaitl’s future in Edmonton, but Poner is confident something can get done.

"Very confident that there will be an agreement with Edmonton in the end.”

If things continue to sour, however, it’s not unfair to look just a year down the road to see the Oilers could be right back on the same boat with McDavid.

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