With the 2025 Stanley Cup series hanging in the balance after Game 4, the Edmonton Oilers are breathing new life into their championship push. And as the playoff pressure rises, so does the spotlight on one of the Oilers’ biggest stars. Leon Draisaitl, already a force on the ice, is also making headlines off it.
Leon Draisaitl Becomes NHL’s Top Earner This Season
The 29-year-old forward has agreed to an eight-year, $112 million contract extension to keep him with the team through the 2032-33 season. The deal, finalized in September 2024, begins this year and makes Draisaitl the highest-paid player in the NHL at $14 million per season, leapfrogging Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon on the salary chart.
It wasn’t just a show of commitment; it was a statement. The Oilers didn’t wait for the bidding wars of this July, as they offered what it took to lock up one of hockey’s most reliable producers. With a reported $104 million signing bonus included, it’s one of the richest deals in league history and a clear signal that the team plans to keep its championship core intact.
Draisaitl’s Career Is Built on Consistency
The timing of the extension couldn’t be more strategic. The NHL’s salary cap, which stood at $88 million during the 2024-25 season, is rumored to rise to $95.5 million next year and could cross $113 million within a few seasons. While Draisaitl’s cap hit may look steep now, it could quickly age well as revenues rebound and team spending power expands.
Forbes noted that Draisaitl’s deal underscores a larger trend: teams are once again investing heavily in franchise players as the league regains its financial footing post-pandemic. Hockey may not yet rival basketball or baseball when it comes to mega-deals, but contracts like this show that the gap is narrowing.
When Draisaitl signed his previous eight-year contract worth $68 million in 2017, some around the league questioned the price tag. Could he live up to it? Would he carve out his own identity beside McDavid? He didn’t just live up to it — he shattered those expectations.
Since then, he’s won the Hart Trophy (2019-20), led the league in points (2019-20), and become the first German player to top the NHL scoring race. Over the past seven years, he’s recorded six seasons with more than 100 points and has topped the 40-goal mark as many times.
Leon Draisaitl of the @EdmontonOilers became the first German-born player to lead the NHL in points and the 10th different European-born player to do so.#NHLStats 2019-20 Regular Season Recap: https://t.co/LjMOQts2u7 pic.twitter.com/XUuhyYsb2j
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 30, 2020
Off the ice, Draisaitl’s impact is just as meaningful. In Germany, he’s become a household name, carrying the torch passed down from his father, Peter Draisaitl, a longtime pro and current coach. With endorsements and international attention, the 29-year-old’s influence stretches far beyond Alberta, Canada.