Elliotte Friedman opines nobody is 'too surprised' with Leon Draisaitl's league-highest $14M AAV 

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Sep 05, 2024 04:50 GMT

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman said Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year, $112 million contract extension with a $14 million AAV isn’t surprising. Draisaitl is one of the best offensive players in the league, especially on the power play.

In yesterday's NHL Network broadcast, Friedman explained the contract takes up 16% of the salary cap, which is normal for top players:

"Earlier in the summer, I thought it might be a 13 [million dollars], something like that," Friedman said to Jamison Coyle and Mike Rupp. "But over the last week, while I was trying to enjoy Disneyland, someone said to me, 'Don't be surprised if this one comes in around 14' [million dollars].

"And you know, one of the things, I think, is, first of all, it's 16% of the cap, or a little less when the year it kicks in. And that's normal for the top players. If you take a look at where a lot of the big deals come in, 15, 16% is pretty much where it is. So that fits. That's number one," he added.

Though some thought the contract might be around $13 million, Friedman expected $14 million as the final number. He also said it’s common for top players to push salary limits:

"And number two... there still is pressure on the best players to raise the bar from their peers." Friedman said.

"I think that you should never underestimate that the great players want to be at the top of the salary structure too... I think people expected this to happen, and I don't think anybody is too surprised with the number," he added.

Leon Draisaitl happy to sign with Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl has been with the Edmonton Oilers for his entire 10-year NHL career so far. He scored 106 points through 41 goals and 65 assists in 81 games last season, ranking seventh in the NHL. In the playoffs, he added 31 points through 10 goals and 21 assists in 25 games.

"I take great pride in being an Oiler and always obviously wear my heart on my sleeve, but I love nothing more than wearing that jersey and representing our city and our great fans," Draisaitl said via NHL.com. "I'm really, really excited and happy to hopefully be an Oiler for life."

In his career, Leon Draisaitl has 850 points (347 goals, 503 assists) in 719 regular-season games and 108 points (41 goals) in 74 playoff games. He has won the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award.

Leon Draisaitl hopes to stay with the Oilers for life. This follows a strong season where the team nearly won the Stanley Cup.