The Edmonton Oilers came close to winning the Stanley Cup but fell short by one game.
Now, everyone is curious about what’s next for their top stars, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Draisaitl, who is 28 years old, has one year left on his contract. He can sign an extension starting July 1. However, after losing to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup, he made comments that have people questioning his future with the team beyond 2024.
“I’m going to give you the most boring answer here — I’m obviously going to sit down with my agents here and talk to the Oilers and see what their plan is, see what our plan is, and go from there,” Draisaitl told reporters Wednesday via NHL.com. “It’s something going to take a little bit of time [to think about] what I want, what the Oilers want and what everyone wants and go from there. Edmonton has the only chance to sign me, so I guess they are first. I’ll leave it at that. Obviously, I love being an Oiler more than anything.”
Draisaitl plays a crucial role in the Oilers’ offense . He has scored over 100 points in five of the last six seasons and had three seasons with 50 goals or more. Together with McDavid, they make one of the best scoring duos in hockey.
Future Uncertainties:
Chris Johnston from The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the Oilers don’t want Draisaitl’s contract situation unresolved as they head into next season. They aim to sort things out this summer—either by signing him to a big extension or trading him.
“Edmonton is not inclined to let the 28-year-old center simply play out the final year of his contract and walk directly into free agency next July,” Johnston wrote according to multiple league sources familiar with how management views this issue.
Fans might feel anxious about these developments because they love watching these two stars play together.
What do you think will happen? Will he stay or go?
