Oilers' Leon Draisaitl becomes highest-paid NHL player with $112 million deal

2024-12-25 09:13:40 source:lotradecoin availability category:Contact

The National Hockey League will have a new highest-paid player for three seasons in a row.

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl agreed to an eight-year, $112 million extension on Tuesday that will give him a $14 million cap hit when the deal kicks in during the 2025-26 season. That will move him past Auston Matthews' four-year, $53 million contract ($13.25 million cap hit) that takes effect this season.

Matthews' deal surpassed Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6 million cap hit, which took effect last season. Before that, Oilers star Connor McDavid ($12.5 million) had the top average annual salary.

Draisaitl was considered vastly underpaid in his current contract, which averages $8.5 million and expires this season.

Draisaitl, 28, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft, has the second-most points in the NHL since he became a regular in the 2015-16 season. His 841 points trail only McDavid (982). His 145 power-play goals leads all scorers during that time.

All things Oilers: Latest Edmonton Oilers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

In the playoffs, his 1.46 points per game is second behind McDavid's 1.58.

Draisaitl was voted the Hart Trophy as MVP to his team in 2019-20 and helped the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season.

New general manager Stan Bowman said after his July hiring that signing Draisaitl was his top priority. He had to delay when the St. Louis Blues made offer sheets to forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. Bowman ended up not matching the offers and letting those players go.

McDavid's contract runs out after the 2025-26 season and he almost certainly would pass Draisaitl's figure in his next deal.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

More:Contact

Recommend

This house from 'Home Alone' is for sale. No, not that one.

A house featured in the cult-classic "Home Alone" is for sale − but it's not the one where Kevin McC

West Virginia voter, ACLU file lawsuit after Democrat state senate candidate left off ballot

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A voter filed a lawsuit against a county in ruby-red West Virginia on Tuesd

CAUCOIN Trading Center: BTC Spot ETF Accelerates the Professionalization of the Cryptocurrency Market

The launch of the BTC Spot ETF has had a transformative impact on the cryptocurrency market. As a ne