Oilers’ Draisaitl becomes highest-paid player in NHL history when U.S. 8-year, $112 million extension kicks in

The Edmonton Oilers have given star player Leon Draisaitl an eight-year, $112 million contract extension in the U.S., the club announced Tuesday.

The contract has an average annual value of $14 million US, making it the highest in NHL history. Toronto Maple Leafs
Captain Auston Matthews previously held that honor, as his deal has an average annual value of US$13.25 million.

Draisaitl played in 81 games last season, scoring 41 goals and 65 assists for 106 points. He added 10 goals and 21 assists in 25 playoff games, helping Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.

He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

“This is a historic day for the Edmonton Oilers,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement.

“Leon’s dedication to our team, our city and Oilers fans everywhere cannot be overstated. His desire to bring a Stanley Cup title to Edmonton is at the heart of everything he does, both on and off the ice.”

WATCH | Q&A with Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl:

Q&A with Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl

CBC Sports spoke with Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl about playing with Connor McDavid, the 2022 Olympics and soccer star Alphonso Davies.

Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension in the U.S. in August 2017, with an average annual salary cap of $8.5 million. The contract quickly proved to be a bargain for the NHL and expires after the 2024-25 season.

The 28-year-old center has 347 goals and 503 assists for 850 points in 719 regular season games since being selected third overall in the 2014 NHL draft.

Draisaitl was the league’s leading scorer with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games in 2019-20 as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world.

The Cologne, Germany native went on to win the Art Ross Trophy and subsequently both the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the most outstanding player as voted on by the NHLPA membership.

Draisaitl, who played as a junior for the Prince Alberta Raiders of the Western Hockey League, has six 100-point seasons to his name, in addition to an 84-point output during the NHL’s pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

In the 2022–23 season, he recorded a personal-best 128 points as teammate Connor McDavid led the league with 153, after setting a personal-best 55 goals the season before as Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs led the league with 60.

The Oilers struggled to find the right mix around Draisaitl and McDavid until they finally made the breakthrough when they reached the 2022 Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Edmonton lost in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights, another team on the verge of conquering hockey’s holy grail, and fell to the Florida Panthers in this year’s finals after beating the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars.

McDavid’s current contract, which carries a salary cap of $12.5 million, runs through the 2025-26 season.