Leon Draisaitl scratches with them Edmonton Oilers on the historic victory record. But while the chances are on the longed for Stanley Cup In the current season, the future of the Cologne player in Edmonton remains uncertain.
The upcoming All-Star weekend in the North American professional league NHL doesn’t bring back good memories for Leon Draisaitl. Last year the Cologne native ended up with the Skill Challenge In precision shooting, they came in last place. “Sometimes it works well, sometimes not so well” said Draisaitl, as usual soberly, to the sports information service.
Draisaitl before the Allstar break: “We would like to continue playing”
It would be much more serious that the Allstar break next Friday (February 2, 2024) in Toronto comes at a very bad time for him and the Oilers: Because Edmonton is on course for a record in the NHL. The Canadians have recently achieved 16 wins in a row and are only one away from their record, which is still unattainable to this day Pittsburgh Penguins with the then superstars Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr from the 1992/93 season. “We would like to continue playing“Draisaitl admitted.
Draisaitl is chasing the Stanley Cup title: “Our time has come”
After a disastrous start to the season with just three wins from the first 13 games, Edmonton managed to turn things around and put an impressive winning streak on the ice. The team around Draisaitl and his congenial strike partner Connor McDavid are now considered big favorites for the title. “Our time is now. We’re doing everything we can to win a Stanley Cup here with the Oilers“, said Draisaitl: “We put ourselves in a difficult situation at the beginning of the season. If you lose a few games in a row, you no longer know how you can win. Right now it feels like we can’t lose anymore.”
Only at the weekend did he break the 800 scorer point mark in his 683rd NHL game; only Wayne Gretzky (352), McDavid (545) and Jari Kurri (558) were faster in Oilers history.
Speculation about the future with the Oilers – and a new monster contract
The fans of the team from Alberta are currently concerned with another issue: Draisaitl’s contract. This expires after the coming season. According to the current status, Draisaitl is allowed to negotiate a contract with other teams after the current season, but is keeping a low profile about his future: “I’m completely focused on the Oilers, then we’ll see what happens in the summer or the following year.“In an interview with the portal”Oilers Nation” But Draisaitl also hinted: “I will do what is best for me.”
After all, it could be the last big contract for the 28-year-old Draisaitl. There is speculation in the North American media that his annual salary could be around $13 million. For the Oilers, who are close to the salary cap, such a sum would be difficult to manage, because McDavid also needs a new working paper from 2025. It could be Draisaitl’s penultimate chance to win the Stanley Cup with Edmonton.