According to new reports, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers are nearing an 8 year contract extension, but Draisaitl wants to speak to the Oilers core first.

The 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast is reporting that Draisaitl would be willing to take a significant discount to keep the Oilers together and competitive, but he wants to make sure other Oilers will do the same.

[Draisaitl is] only interested in signing long term in Edmonton so an 8 year deal is what he’s looking for at this time & it sounds like he will take less $ in a long term deal but only if others are willing to do the same.

This is incredibly positive news to hear for Oilers fans, and with McDavid’s wedding happening right now, the Oilers core will be close together to discuss the future of the team. Draisaitl could earn up to $14M or more for his next contract on a fair deal, so him taking even $500K off the value is a significant discount for the Oilers.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are extremely close personally, with Leon even being Connor’s best man at his wedding. The two can be the highest paid players in the league and still be playing below their value, and if they can convince other players to do the same, it’s very easy to see the Oilers winning multiple Stanley Cups. They all know this, and with Leon up next to sign his contract, the team is surely discussing this at the moment.

If Leon Draisaitl signs a contract with the Oilers for 8 years at $12.5M, that’s still more than another team offering him $14M over the max 7 year free agent contract. It’s very possible that Draisaitl could sign another bargain deal – and it would be a great bit of news for Oilers fans after the Stan Bowman hiring.