With Draisaitl signed, Oilers now have to find way to keep McDavid long term

The Edmonton Oilers locked up Leon Draisaitl on Tuesday, signing the 28-year-old center to an eight-year, $112 million contract that begins next season.

“I wanted to be an Oiler for life,” Draisaitl said.

Now the Oilers must do the same with Connor McDavid and surround the duo with a supporting cast strong enough to win the Stanley Cup, but those are good problems to have.

“Players like Leon are special,” general manager Stan Bowman said. “There are not many people in the world that can play hockey like he does. There’s no way we could ever replace what Leon brings to the table. He’s a huge part of our team. He has been, and he will continue to be. For me, it was never a question.

“Certainly, there’s going to be challenges in the future, but that’s for us to figure out down the road.”

Draisaitl is entering the final season of an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Oilers on Aug. 16, 2017. He could have been an unrestricted free agent after the season and sought more than the average annual value of $14 million he received. He could have tried to escape McDavid’s shadow.

By signing Draisaitl before training camp, the Oilers avoid distractions this season. They also send a message to McDavid, who has two seasons left on the eight-year, $100 million contract ($12.5 million AAV) he signed with the Oilers on July 5, 2017. The 27-year-old center will be eligible to sign another contract July 1.

“We want to win, and we’re going to do everything in our power, and hopefully that’s going to be something that Connor likes to hear,” Bowman said.

The Oilers’ priority must be to keep Draisaitl and McDavid together, even though that would take up a massive portion of the NHL salary cap.

Edmonton selected Draisaitl No. 3 in the 2014 NHL Draft, then McDavid No. 1 in 2015. Draisaitl won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion and the Hart Trophy, voted the League’s most valuable player, in 2019-20. McDavid has won the Art Ross five times and the Hart three times, plus the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL goal-scoring champion and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP.

Since 2018-19, Draisaitl (643) ranks second in the NHL in points behind McDavid (726). In NHL history, Draisaitl (1.46) ranks fourth in points per game in the playoffs behind Wayne Gretzky (1.84), Mario Lemieux (1.61) and McDavid (1.58) among players who have appeared in at least 74 games.

Draisaitl said he and McDavid have had numerous conversations about the situation.

“Connor’s going to do what’s best for him, right?” Draisaitl said. “That’s just the way this works, and it’s supposed to work that way. I did what I thought was best for me, personally. Do I hope that Connor follows along? I’d be lying if I said no. Of course I want him to stay on board. I want all our pieces to stay on board.”

The truth is, it’s essentially impossible for all the pieces to stay on board under the cap, and Draisaitl and McDavid know all too well what it’s like not to have enough help. They won one playoff series in their first six seasons together.

Asked about balancing what they’re worth on the open market versus leaving the Oilers enough cap room to win, Draisaitl said it is a fine line for him and McDavid.

“We know how you can’t win with two-, three-, four-man rosters,” Draisaitl said. “That’s just not possible in this league. This league’s too good. I’m very happy it’s done, it’s over with. I can focus on playing my game and continuing to get better and play my best hockey especially when it matters most.”

That said, the Oilers made the Western Conference Final in 2021-22 and went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers last season. Draisaitl talked about what they have built: a group that has contended for the Cup on the ice and grown close off the ice.

“For me, it was always the Oilers,” Draisaitl said. “Obviously, we haven’t gotten the job done yet, which makes it to me even more special, right? We’re going to do this together. We’re all pulling on the same rope here. Yeah, I’m just, again, excited to be a part of it and excited to keep chipping away at the ultimate goal, and we all know what that is.”

It will be on management to sign McDavid and to find complementary players season after season -- young players coming up, veterans on cheap contracts.

“The math is what it is, so you have to have low-priced players coming into your team each year,” Bowman said.

It will be on Draisaitl to live up to this contract. Another good problem to have, though.

“There is pressure,” he said. “But, you know, I’m going to get paid a lot of money to be able to handle those moments.”