Draisaitl gives "boring answer" to question of re-signing with Oilers

There is no denying that the biggest talking point surrounding the Edmonton Oilers this summer will be the future of Leon Draisaitl.

The 28-year-old, who has racked up 347 goals and 850 points since being selected third overall in 2014, has just one more year remaining on his contract. He’s been on one of the league’s best bargain deals for years with a cap hit of just $8.5 million, and will undoubtedly earn a big raise. The question is, will it be with the Oilers?

Draisaitl spoke on just that during his end-of-season media availability this afternoon. While he admitted he loves being an Oiler, he didn’t divulge much else.

“I’m going to give you the most boring answer here,” Draisaitl said. “I’m 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… I haven’t had any time to think about it, it wasn’t on my mind a lot lately. It’s just something that’s going to take a little bit of time to figure out. What I want, what the Oilers want, what everyone wants.

“Obviously, I love being an Oiler more than anything. I’ll leave it at that.”

It was another big season for Draisaitl, who scored 41 goals and 106 points in 81 games. It marked the fifth time in his career that he surpassed 100 points in a single season. His strong play continued in the playoffs as well, as despite battling multiple injuries, he finished with 10 goals and 30 points in 23 games.

Over the past six seasons, Draisaitl sits second to only Connor McDavid when it comes to points amongst NHLers, recording 643 in just 450 games. He’s also second in goals with 272 over that same span, which trails only Auston Matthews’ 294. Should an extension get worked out in Edmonton, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sign for a higher cap hit than Matthews’ $13.25 million, which is currently the highest in the NHL.

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