$112M Edmonton Oilers contract ranked among biggest steals in the NHL
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
The Edmonton Oilers made Leon Draisaitl the highest paid player in NHL history last September with a $112M contract, and it's already being called a steal of a deal.
Draisaitl is now headed to France this weekend to marry his fiancée, and directly afterward, Connor McDavid is expected to sign his contract extension with Edmonton - surpassing Draisaitl's $14M annual salary.
Oilers contract with Leon Draisaitl named among best deals in NHL
Despite being the highest paid player in the NHL, analyst Dom Luszczyszyn at the Athletic ranked Draisaitl's contract the 6th best in the entire league.
Draisaitl signed at the perfect time as the NHL's salary cap took a massive leap forward and is expected to keep increasing - and the Oilers superstar has still continued to elevate his game.
What looked like a fair deal when it was signed now looks like a steal thanks to Draisaitl's personal leap in performance timed with the rising cap environment.
On the Draisaitl front, he was the league's best skater last year as a result of a much-improved defensive game. While Draisaitl's defensive play had already grown relative to his early days, last season's jump put him on the fringes of Selke discussions. He reached a new level that put him in the conversation among the league's best 200-foot players - and it didn't come with any offensive sacrifice either.
- Dom Luszczyszyn
On the Draisaitl front, he was the league's best skater last year as a result of a much-improved defensive game. While Draisaitl's defensive play had already grown relative to his early days, last season's jump put him on the fringes of Selke discussions. He reached a new level that put him in the conversation among the league's best 200-foot players - and it didn't come with any offensive sacrifice either.
- Dom Luszczyszyn
Draisaitl dominated in every manner this season, leading to a 52 goal season while also posting elite defensive metrics. There was a solid argument to be made that he shouldn't won the Hart Trophy for the NHL's best player - but he just missed out.
The Athletic now has Draisaitl's real projected value at $18.4M, and as the salary cap rises and players quickly surpass his deal, it will continue to look like a steal. He's still got more MVP type seasons in him, but the only goal now is a Stanley Cup, and a positive value contract will greatly help the Oilers.
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