Will McDavid and Draisaitl go their separate ways in the next few seasons?

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Joshua Deeds
September 15, 2023 (1:03)

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One of the best one-two punches in the game is Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

Because of the reality of the situation, perhaps there is only a limited amount of time they will have together. Draisaitl acknowledged the future shortcomings as they strive to win this year's Stanley Cup.

Leon Draisaitl is highly aware that only two more chances to go the distance with Connor McDavid are guaranteed.

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In other words, Leon and Connor will eventually part ways in the future, over the next few seasons.

I knew that question was coming," Draisaitl smiled Wednesday, recording for 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.

"Of course, I do. But I'm gonna give you the most cliché answer right now. I'm in Edmonton right now. I want to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton. We'll see what happens."

The reason may be that Draisaitl's current contract which has a team-friendly cap hit of $8.5 Million AAV is up on July 1st, and McDavid will also begin negotiating his own raise in 2025.

Despite a salary cap raise, paying them what they're worth could affect the teams' chances of winning. Draisaitl often considers the future, but he is more focused on winning a Stanley Cup right now, not worrying about the possibility of the two breaking up in the future.

"Absolutely. I think we all felt that way. It really felt like we can beat any team, and I still stand by that today," said Draisaitl, encouraged by the off-season addition of Connor Brown and a full 82 with deadline pickup Mattias Ekholm.

"I do think we're a better team. I think we're more mature. We've learned from last season," Draisaitl said.

"I'm also looking forward to another great chance of chasing what we all want."

This year, Draisaitl expressed disappointment after the team lost their second-round game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Therefore, the contract is not the focus of the season; in Edmonton, it's Cup Or Bust once again.