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The ongoing season started with rumors about Leon Draisaitl's future with the Edmonton Oilers amid the team's slump. However, it seems that those rumors have cooled down due to the club's impressive run of results lately.
Ever since Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft as the head coach in November 2023, the Oilers have bounced back and shown potential to continue their strong performance and make a push in the season.
Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $68,000,000 contract with the Oilers in 2017. He'll become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of the 2024–25 season. The German has been a key player for Edmonton and has formed a dynamic duo with Connor McDavid to lead the team's scoring in recent years. Given his contributions, the Oilers front office seemingly faces an exciting challenge of considering extending his contract.
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Jeff Jackson, the CEO of the Edmonton Oilers, recently said that they will discuss Draisaitl's contract extension with the player and his agents toward the end of the season.
Jackson added that they are focusing on the current season at the moment and that the club doesn't want contract talks to become a distraction (via NHL Rumors):
“Similar to Ken, once the end of the season rolls around, we’ll talk to Leon and his agents to see what they’re thinking. That’s the plan. We haven’t started to do any of that at this point. We’re focused on what’s happening now and don’t want it to be any sort of distraction at all.”
It'll be intriguing to see how negotiations unfold and what the future holds for the 28-year-old German forward and the Oilers.
How has Leon Draisaitl fared for the Oilers this season?
Leon Draisaitl was drafted third overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2014 and has been with the club since.
The 2023-24 season marked the 10th for Draisaitl in an Oilers uniform. With 57 points (23 goals and 34 assists), he is the second-leading scorer for the club after Connor McDavid (67).
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers are riding an impressive 16-game winning streak. They need two more wins to surpass the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins's record (17) for the longest winning streak by a team in NHL history.
Draisaitl and the Oilers return to action when they travel to T-Mobile Arena to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
