Earlier on in May — when Leon Draisaitl and his Edmonton Oilers were fresh off their five-game Round 1 series win over the Los Angeles Kings — former player Georges Laraque reported that the German superstar could be tempted to move on from the Oil if the team doesn't capture a Stanley Cup before his contract expires.
Laraque said on BPM Sports 91.9 FM in Montreal that the Boston Bruins would be a top suitor if Draisaitl does decide to test free agency in the summer of 2025; he has one year remaining on his current deal.
“Someone well placed within the Oilers organization said that if the Oilers don’t go deep in the playoffs, he doesn’t see Draisaitl re-signing at the end of his deal and that he’d prefer to be a first-line center in Boston,” said the former enforcer.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and Edmonton is now halfway to a championship after beating the Vancouver Canucks in a thrilling Game 7 at Rogers Arena on Monday night. Advancing to the West Final should already be considered a deep run.
But the rumors that Draisaitl is considering leaving have only gained steam, with Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now also adding some fuel to the fire this week.
“According to this source, Draisaitl works out with Bruins superstar winger David Pastrnak in Prague each offseason, and the two have become ‘friends.’” Pastrnak also said at exit interviews after a six-game loss to the Florida Panthers that he would “do all he can” to recruit players to come to Boston, per Murphy.
That's certainly an interesting development, but there hasn't been anything concrete pointing to Draisaitl wanting to move on from Edmonton. But as a UFA after the 2024-25 season, there's a real chance he won't re-up in Alberta if the franchise can't capture a championship with him and Connor McDavid.
But the future is probably the last thing on the 28-year-old's mind as he remains in the midst of helping his squad do just that in 2024.
Oilers are halfway there — again
As usual, Draisaitl and McDavid have been the catalysts, and the Oilers have once again advanced to the Western Conference Final. The same thing happened two seasons ago, but Edmonton was swept by a superior Colorado Avalanche team that went on to win the 2022 Stanley Cup in six games.
Two campaigns later, it'll be the Dallas Stars on the other end of the rink after the Stars prevailed over the Avs in a hard-fought second-round series. A Stars-Oilers series will be fantastic, and Draisaitl's play should again be a deciding factor. He's a frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, leading all skaters with 24 points in 12 games. That's after a 41-goal, 106-point season over 81 regular-season contests — his fifth time in six seasons hitting the century mark.
The Cologne native will enter the final season of an eight-year, $68 million contract later this year, and he'll be 30 when that pact expires — if he isn't re-upped by the Oilers in that time. With a Hart and an Art Ross on the trophy case, the former No. 3 overall pick should command a significant raise, especially with the salary cap set to increase.
But the clock is ticking for Edmonton's core to win a championship, and you never know when the last run will be. For now, Draisaitl and his club are focusing on finally getting over the hump and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.
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