Oilers sign Draisaitl to 8-year, $68M extension

The Edmonton Oilers signed center Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $68-million extension Wednesday, the club announced.

Draisaitl is coming off an impressive 2016-17 season in which he announced himself as one of the NHL's elite scorers, tallying 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points - good for eighth in the league. He also showed he can score in the clutch, leading the Oilers in playoff scoring by racking up 16 points in 13 postseason games.

At only 21 years old, the German is one of the game's rising stars, and will now be paid as such.

Draisaitl's contract carries an average annual value of $8.5 million and will keep him in an Oilers uniform through the 2024-2025 season.

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