Leon Draisaitl has a new long-term deal in Edmonton.
Edmonton Oiler fans all over will sleep a lot easier these upcoming nights, knowing that the dynamic dynamo Leon Draisaitl is staying in Edmonton for a long time to come. On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers officially announced the signing of 21-year-old Leon Draisaitl to an 8 year, $68 million contact. Draisaitl was amazing during the 2016-2017 season registering 29 goals, 48 assists, and 77 points while playing in all 82 regular season games for the Oilers last year.
On top of that, he posted 6 goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 13 post-season games. He was second on the team in scoring during the regular season (only Connor McDavid posted more points) and led the team in scoring during the post season, helping them advance to the second round of the playoffs.
This signing is absolutely huge for the upcoming years to come. When the news broke back in July about the monster deal McDavid was set to receive, it left many fans wondering about Leon Draisiatl. Would they have the cap space to pay him? Would he want more to stay, seeing how much McDavid was paid? If he leaves what does that mean for the organization in the years to come?
Well, fortunately, we have all the answers after today. The annual cap hit of $8.5 million is beyond fair for both sides. Not only does Draisaitl get paid a very good chunk of money, but the Oilers keep their second best forward without feeling hindered or restricted either. With McDavid (age 20) and Draisaitl (age 21) locked up for a long time, the future is definitely looking very bright in Edmonton.
When asked about his new contract, Leon had this to say: “I’m really excited to be back for eight years,” Draisaitl told the Oilers website. “I never really thought about going anywhere else. We have something really special.”
The Edmonton Oilers have made some great moves in the past few seasons, both in trades and drafting. With the acquisition of Cam Talbot back in 2015-2016 to be the starting goalie, Adam Larsson to lead the defense and the drafting on Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, Edmonton is now in a strong position to make a lot of post season noise in the years to come.
