The second-best player on his club and one of the NHL's best players, Leon Draisaitl is vital to the Edmonton Oilers. When his contract expires at the end of the 2024–25 campaign, the Oilers will need to pay him a sizable raise because he has been one of the team's most underpaid players ever since he signed it.
Sportsnet interview with Draisaitl Gives fans some insight
In a one-on-one interview with Sportsnet's Mark Spector, Leon Draisaitl discussed his and McDavid's time in Edmonton:
«At the end of the day, he's going to do what's best for him, and I'm going to have to do the same thing for me. We've had a lot of success together, and we would like to have more success as a team, of course. I'm sure at some point, there's going to be some conversations. But at the end of the day, he's going to do what's best for him and I'm going to do what's best for me.»
It sure seems as though Draisaitl is looking at all options as he gets closer to UFA status.
The topic of Draisaitl's contract was discussed too. This conversation came up considering the William Nylander contract has been the talk of the Canadian hockey media for the last couple days.
«There's a lot of thought, a lot of conversation that goes into it. With family. With my agents, of course. Right now, I think everyone just wants me to focus on playing. I know the situation come July 1. But there's another side to it as well. You know, the Oilers have a say in this as well. Come July 1, at least. After that, it's up to me.»
It sounds as though he is not thinking about the contract now. Come July 1st though, he knows what he will expect to be paid.
«Of course, I want to finish the job. That's why I pour my heart, my emotions — my body language, sometimes — into it every day. That's the way I'm wired. I care a lot. Of course, I want to finish the job. And I want to finish it here. But there are lots of things that go into it. Lots of things that play a role in these situations. And at the end of the day, I'm going to give you the boring answer again: We'll see how it plays out.»
Rollercoaster of a season for the Edmonton Oilers and Draisaitl
The Draisaitl season thus far has not been the typical Draisaitl season that we are all accustomed to. While he does score more than a point each game, his overall point total is only 22nd. Though the Oilers have improved since, it is mostly because of how awful they started.