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Frank Seravalli opines $68M Leon Draisaitl's new Oilers contract 'may end up surprising people'
Frank Seravalli from the Daily Faceoff recently discussed the upcoming contract negotiations for Edmonton Oilers stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. He suggested that the final contract amounts might surprise people.
Draisaitl's current eight-year, $68 million deal with the Oilers has a cap hit of $8.5 million. As the 2024-25 season approaches, Leon Draisaitl will earn a base salary of $8 million. Despite the importance of these negotiations, Seravalli believes the final deals for both players could be more team-friendly than expected.
Seravalli initially thought Draisaitl might ask for $14 million per year. However, when Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer estimated the combined cap hit for Draisaitl and McDavid might be $30 million, Seravalli suggested it could be a bit lower. He added that there's a strong chance—over 90%—that both players will re-sign with the Oilers.
Seravalli described the negotiation process as straightforward. He said Draisaitl's agent, Mike Liut of Octagon Hockey, will likely present a number to the Oilers without much back-and-forth. Seravalli hinted that the final number might be more reasonable than expected. He expected Draisaitl to be more focused on helping the Oilers build a competitive team than on maximizing his earnings.
"The end result, the end number, may end up surprising people a little bit in terms of how reasonable it ends up being," Seravalli said (via edmontonjournal.com).
According to Seravalli, Draisaitl and McDavid will be aware demanding too much would restrict the Oilers' ability to sign other essential players. .
Oilers GM Stan Bowman talked about Leon Draisaitl's contract last week
The Edmonton Oilers have reportedly started talks with Leon Draisaitl to extend his contract. GM Stan Bowman wants to keep Draisaitl long-term. Bowman talked about Draisaitl's importance to the team’s success during the 2024 Gretzky-Hlinka Cup at Rogers Place on Aug. 5.
“I had a good conversation (with Mike Liut - Draisaitl’s agent) and we’re starting things off and the timing on that will be what it will be. I don’t have an update of where it’s going to be or the timing on that, but there is nothing negative to report, certainly.”
“Leon is a super-talented player, a huge part of what we’re doing. He has been and will be for some time and that hasn’t changed at all,” Bowman said. “I think it’s really hard to find stars in the NHL, so when you have them, the goal is to keep them."
Bowman also aims to re-sign Connor McDavid, whose contract expires in two years. The Oilers hope to maintain their strong performance by building a solid team around Draisaitl and McDavid.
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