New Oilers GM Bowman: 'Leon is a star player and he’s top priority for me'
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Edmonton Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson tackled a good portion of the team's off-season to-do list as interim general manager, but key items still remain for the newly-hired Stan Bowman.
Bowman was hired Wednesday, two weeks after becoming eligible to hold a job in the NHL again, and stated that getting Leon Draisaitl signed to an extension is atop his list as he takes over.
“Leon is a star player and he’s top priority for me,” Bowman said. “I want Leon to be an Oiler for life.”
Draisaitl and captain Connor McDavid are at the core of the Oilers success, but both face upcoming contract negotiations. While Draisaitl is now eligible to sign an extension as he enters the final season of his deal at a cap hit of $8.5 million, McDavid will be eligible to re-sign next summer as his deal at a cap hit of $12.5 million enters its last year.
Bowman stated Wednesday he plans to keep both Draisaitl and McDavid long-term.
“They’re the best there is,” Bowman said of the two star forwards. “I think that’s a priority, they clearly are a big part of what we’re doing... They are a huge part of this community, this team, and they are going to be going forward.”
Following the season, which culminated in a Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, Draisaitl gave little insight into how the negotiations would go.
"It's something going to take a little bit of time [to think about] what I want, what the Oilers want and what everyone wants and go from there," said Draisaitl. "Edmonton has the only chance to sign me, so I guess they are first. I'll leave it at that.
"Obviously I love being an Oiler more than anything."
The 25-year-old had 41 goals and 106 points in 81 regular season games and added 10 goals and 31 points in the playoffs. However, in the Stanley Cup Final, he had just three assists.
Since being drafted third overall by Edmonton in 2014, Draisaitl has won the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award along with five NHL All-Star nods. The German has 347 goals and 850 points in 719 career NHL games.
RFAs Broberg, Holloway still need new deals
While extending Draisaitl is a headline item for the Oilers, the team still has two restricted free agents in need of new contracts for this season in defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway.
According to PuckPedia, Edmonton is currently $354,167 over the salary cap with a roster of 12 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders.
Broberg was involved in trade rumours earlier this year after being demoted to the AHL, but returned to the Oilers roster to contribute in the playoffs. The 23-year-old blueliner had two assists in 12 games with Edmonton during the regular season and posted two goals and an assist in 10 games during the postseason, playing in all seven games during the Stanley Cup Final. He carried a cap hit of $863,334 last season.
Holloway also split time between the Oilers and AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season, posting six goals and nine points in 38 games with the NHL club. He appeared in all 25 games during the postseason, posting five goals and two assists. Selected 14th overall by Edmonton in the 2020 draft, Holloway is coming off his entry-level contract.