Oilers CEO hints at how Leon Draisaitl's $112,000,000 deal could impact Connor McDavid contract negotiations

Edmonton Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson is part of the Connor McDavid contract extension negotiations as the center enters the final year of his current contract. Jackson talked about Leon Draisaitl’s new contract on Tuesday and said the $112 million deal will not directly guide McDavid’s talks.

Speaking on "Oilers Now" with Bob Stauffer, Jackson noted that McDavid respects Draisaitl and values him as a teammate. He added that McDavid thinks about both team success and personal value.

"I think there's no argument that Leon was one of the best players in the league last year," Jackson said. (10:30) "You certainly wouldn't get an argument from Connor on that front, and Connor was great in his own right..."

"When you're a friend and a teammate of such a good player - I think that Connor is a very introspective, humble person, and he looks at Leon and has a high degree of respect for him, so it (Leon's contract) certainly is part of, I'm sure, his thought process (about his extension),"

However, the Oilers are not comparing the two players in negotiations.

"But it's not part of our process," Jackson said. "We're not trying to compare the two. We're not trying to say to Connor, Leon's making this, you should make that."

Connor McDavid signed an eight-year, $100 million deal in 2017. That contract ends after the 2025-26 season. Jackson said McDavid’s situation is unique, and the team wants him to feel comfortable with both salary and contract length. And he admitted that he does not know the exact numbers yet.

Jackson said McDavid is not trying to make the most money possible. Instead, McDavid wants a balance between fair pay and helping the team.

"He's not looking at it purely from a, like, 'I'm going to try to break the bank and make as much money that I can,'" Jackson said.

McDavid wants the Oilers to have options to keep strong players.

"So, Leon is the highest paid player in the league," Jackson said. "and I guess Connor will look at that and try to figure out where he fits vis-a-vis in relation to that."

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Connor McDavid's perspective on signing an extension with the Oilers

At Hockey Canada’s Olympic camp in August, Connor McDavid said he would take his time to sign an extension. He stressed that his focus remains on winning in Edmonton.

"I’ll take my time and go through everything," McDavid said. "I have every intention to win in Edmonton. It’s my only focus, maybe next to winning a gold medal with Canada."

Connor McDavid’s value is clear across the league. He had 100 points in 67 games last season. This was his 8th 100-point season in the League, seven behind Wayne Gretzky. In the playoffs, he added 33 points in 22 games.

McDavid previously won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2024. So, the expectation is that his next deal will set a new NHL salary record, considering the rising NHL salary cap.