Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl signs 8-year, $68M contract extension

The Edmonton Oilers signed center Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season.

The deal has an average annual value of $8.5 million.

The 21-year old Draisaitl completed his third NHL season in 2016-17, setting career highs with 77 points (29 goals, 48 assists) in 82 games, and also finishing with 20 penalty minutes.

Draisaitl, a native of Cologne, Germany, finished second in team scoring behind Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid and ranked eighth among all NHL scorers. He also set a record for points by a German player in an NHL season, surpassing the mark of 59 points set by Marco Sturm in 2006.

The 6-foot-1, 216-pound Draisaitl tied for the team lead with 27 power-play points (three goals, 24 assists) and also had five game-winning goals, three of which came in overtime. His power-play points ranked tied for eighth in the NHL.

Draisaitl led the Oilers in scoring during the 2017 playoffs, posting 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 13 games. Over 191 career regular-season games with the Oilers, he has accumulated 137 points (50 goals, 87 assists) and 44 penalty minutes.

Draisaitl has played internationally for Germany at three World Hockey Championships (2014, 2016, 2017), two World Junior Hockey Championships (2013, 2014) and two Under 18 World Hockey Championships (2012, 2013). He also was the youngest member of Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, contributing two goals in six games and reaching the final against Team Canada.

Draisaitl was selected by the Oilers in the first round (third overall) of 2015 NHL draft.

On July 5, McDavid signed an eight-year, $100 million extension ($12.5 million average annual value) with Edmonton. The new deal will begin in 2018-19.