Oilers president contradicts media with plans for Draisaitl contract

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Liam McCormick
June 27, 2024 (2:38 PM)

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Oilers President Jeff Jackson met with the media today to address the coming offseason with himself as interim General Manager, especially Leon Draisaitl's pending free agency.

To begin, Jackson stressed the importance of hiring a new General Manager before getting into the thick of contract talks.

»We need to have our GM, before we getting into the meat of that (Draisaitl contract extension). I'm assuming they (Draisaitl's camp) will want to know how the GM is and what their plan is»
- Jeff Jackson

Not only that, but Jackson continued to say that the Oilers aren't feeling any pressure to have Draisaitl signed to an extension before entering the season. Jackson sounded extremely confident that Draisaitl will sign, but also would've be phased if the negotiations continued for up to a year. Specifically however, he mentioned July 15th as a date where a deal could be finalized.

Interestingly, both points from Jackson contradict previous reports from the media about Draisaitl's contract. According to Seravalli weeks ago, the Oilers had already begun discussions with Draisaitl for his contract, and Chris Johnston reported that the Oilers could explore trading Draisaitl if he's not signed to an extension next season.

Edmonton is not inclined to let [Draisaitl] simply play out the final year of his contract . . . Trying to get him extended is considered a «massive priority» for the Oilers at the outset of this offseason, but they'll pivot if he shows any reluctance to commit. They've got some wiggle room to trade Draisaitl, if it comes to that, since his contract includes a 10-team trade list alongside a no-movement clause.
- Chris Johnston, The Athletic

Compared to media reports, Jackson speaking to the media today made re-signing Leon Draisaitl sound like a mere formality. After Jackson's clear confidence in his comments today that a deal will be reached, Oilers fans can keep their expectations for more Stanley Cup runs in the future.

Source: Jason Gregor

Jeff Jackson speaks on Draisaitl's contract status.