Oilers Preparing $40 Million In Contracts for 3 Players
In the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers are still in a battle for their lives. The Oilers are reportedly getting set to extend long-term contracts to their team worth a total of $40 million, according to rumors that surfaced just before Game 4 (which is scheduled for June 15).
On June 14, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff disclosed this information in an interview with Bob Stauffer for the podcast “Oilers Now.” A day prior to the Oilers’ 8-1 thumping of the Florida Panthers in Game 4, which extended the series to at least five games, the conversation took place.
Seravalli reported the Oilers are preparing an extension package amounting to a combined $40 million annually to offer to the three core members of the team: Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard.
“My point is, two years from now when the Oilers take the ice, those three same guys are going to add up to $40 million bucks,” Seravalli said.
Oilers’ Contract Extensions a Matter of ‘When, Not If’
Seravalli considers the Oilers’ contract extensions to the trio of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard a matter of “when,” not “if,” and thinks about them as something that is legitimately bound to happen.
“The next iteration of this, when everyone is locked up, and I said ‘when’ because to me is not ‘if’,” Seravalli said, “I believe the Oilers have already begun discussions with Draisaitl.”
In fact, the insider mentioned that Draisaitl has already begun negotiations for a new contract with Edmonton management. For reference, Draisaitl will be able to sign a one-year deal on July 1.
Stauffer believes Draisaitl will want to agree to a long-term contract for the highest compensation. He stated, “I think the Draisaitl camp will want the maximum.” “They’re going to go for the long-term deal here; they’re not looking for the four-year deal like Auston Matthews.”
Seravalli confirmed that to be the case, adding that the Oilers have already started talks with Draisaitl regarding the extension of his current contract.
“I believe the Oilers have already begun discussion with Draisaitl’s camp,” Seravalli said.
Financial Implications & Aftermath for Oilers
After coming up with the $40 million figure, Stauffer suggested a split of $16, $14, and $10 million respectively for McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard’s deals on a per-season basis.
“Yes, that’s my projection,” Seravalli answered. “And if the Oilers are sitting in their office with Jeff Jackson‘s big board that he has up there, I think the numbers are really close to that. The cap is also going to be $100 million then.”
The NHL announced a salary cap increase of $4.5 million for the 2024-25 season, reaching $88 million, on June 9. Although such raises cannot be considered linear, assuming the cap goes up $4.5 million in each of the next two offseasons, that’d put it close ($97 million) to $100 million before the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Although Stauffer acknowledges that signing three players to large contracts that would account for about 40% of the team’s wage cap carries some risk, he also thinks that locking up those three superstars could be advantageous for the team.
Stauffer remarked, “It’s a lot for three players, but securing these deals removes uncertainty for the organization and its supporters going forward.”
Seravalli concurs with Stauffer, but he also believes that Draisaitl and the other two members of that trio have no other option than to play alongside the league’s finest player, McDavid.
That is because he sees no possible way in which the Oilers let McDavid go as a free agent or trade him, thus making it impossible for Draisaitl (and Bouchard) to play with him elsewhere.
“This is the only place on planet Earth that both of them can play together,” Seravalli said. “Where else are you going to go to play with Connor McDavid?”
Oilers Keep Fighting, Destroy Florida 8-1 in Game 4
Draisaitl, McDavid, and Bouchard have been instrumental in the Oilers’ recent successes including their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024.
McDavid leads the NHL with 38 postseason points, which is the most points in a playoff year among active players topping Evgeni Malkin‘s 36 in 2009.
Edmonton defeated the Florida Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to avoid elimination. After down 0-3 in the finals, the Oilers became the fourth team in a row to win Game 4 and extend a series.
McDavid scored his first goal of the series and added three assists. He broke Wayne Gretzky‘s 31-assist record (1988) in a single playoff run, now having 32 to his name.
Mattias Janmark scored twice, Adam Henrique netted a goal, Dylan Holloway contributed two goals, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan McLeod also scored once each. Goalie Stuart Skinner made 32 saves.
Game 5 will take place in Florida on Tuesday, June 18, with the Panthers leading the Stanley Cup Final 3-1.
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