Draisaitl pushing for McDavid to stay long-term with Oilers
Leon Draisaitl is hoping another large contract extension is on the way for the Edmonton Oilers next summer.
Fresh off signing a massive eight-year, $112 million extension of his own, Draisaitl took some time to meet with the media and answer questions about his long-term commitment to the Oilers.
In that press availability, Draisaitl revealed that he has spoken with McDavid on several occasions about potentially sticking with the Oilers on a long-term basis. While he didn’t publicly reveal what McDavid thought about that idea, the German superstar made it clear that his preference would be for McDavid to follow suit with an extension next summer.
“Connor is going to do what’s best for him, that’s just the way this works,” Draisaitl said. “Do I hope that Connor follows along? I’d be lying if I said no… I want him to stay on board and I want all our pieces to stay on board.
“Having talked to him, we’ve had numerous conversations about it. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want him to stick around for a long time as well.”
Draisaitl on potential #Oilers McDavid extension:
"Connor is going to do what's best for him, that's just the way this works…Do I hope that Connor follows along? I'd be lying if I said no… I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want him to stick around for a long time as well."
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) September 3, 2024
Getting both Draisaitl and McDavid locked down to long-term deals in back-to-back summers would represent a major win for the organization and extend the championship window into the latter half of the decade.
As it stands, McDavid has two more seasons left on his current contract, which is set to expire after the 2025-26 NHL season. That deal carries a cap hit of $12.5 million and will surely eclipse the $14 million AAV that Draisaitl secured on his latest deal.
That’s a lot of cap space to tie up in two players, but when those players are among the best in the world, it’s hard to see how it wouldn’t be worth it. Edmonton made it official today that they are the only place where McDavid will be able to both play with Draisaitl and have a chance at winning multiple Stanley Cups.
It’s hard to see why a long-term extension with the Oilers wouldn’t be an appealing option for the Edmonton captain, and fans can only hope that Draisaitl will do some convincing over the next few seasons to help make it happen.
It would also silence some hockey fans out east who seem to think McDavid wants to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For now, Oil Country will continue to celebrate eight more years of Draisaitl skating on Rogers Place ice.