Leon Draisaitl finally opens up about his record $112 million, 8-year extension with 'number one choice' Oilers

By Zachary Roberts

Modified Sep 04, 2024 18:05 GMT

Leon Draisaitl became the highest-paid player in NHL history with his eight-year extension worth $112 million. The Edmonton Oilers aren't letting their star player go anywhere for a long time, and that's evidently just how the player wants it.

The negotiation took a little while, and it forced Draisaitl to make a decision. The defenseman said the Oilers were the only thing "ever" on his mind during the process.

"You know, obviously there's rumors floating around and things like that, but to me, it was always my number one choice," Draisaitl said via the Oilers NOW podcast. "And just extremely happy to have it done and just worry about my game and our game as a team. And yeah, hopefully winning a Stanley Cup here in the near future."

Draisaitl has spent all 10 years of his NHL career in Edmonton and looks to be there for the foreseeable future as well.

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Leon Draisaitl opens up on Connor McDavid after extension

The Edmonton Oilers spent a ton of money to retain Leon Draisaitl over the next eight years. Two years from now, superstar forward Connor McDavid will be a free agent, which means a possible extension might be looked into.

Leon Draisaitl's extension impacts Connor McDavid (Imagn)

However, with the salary cap, finding a good number is now much more difficult. A lot of the Oilers' money is going to Draisaitl, and it could leave McDavid with less.

The star defenseman opened up on what this means for his teammate moving forward via Athlon Sports:

"Connor’s going to do what’s best for him, right? 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.”

McDavid's contract, which was a massive extension in its own right, ends in two seasons. It remains to be seen if the Oilers retain their captain or do they go different ways once the contract expires.