What Did Draisaitl Mean By, ‘Going To Do What’s Best for Me’?

Leon Draisaitl’s response to questions thrown his way by Mark Spector of Sportsnet this past week have Oilers Nation fired up. Fans are concerned for different reasons. Some don’t love that the Edmonton Oilers’ star was asked about his contract so far from needing to sign it. Others don’t love that Draisaitl didn’t sing the praises of the organization and shout it from the rooftop how much he loved it in Edmonton. Some just don’t like that the fact he didn’t do so was spun in a narrative that suggests commenting he would ‘do what’s best for me’ was saying he’s potentially thinking about leaving.

What Draisaitl said, however, was that he’s trying to win with the Oilers and with Connor McDavid. From there, he noted that when it’s time to talk contract, there’s a lot that will go into it. At that time, he’ll factor in everything and that, “At the end of the day, he’s [McDavid] going to do what’s best for him, and I’m going to have to do the same thing for me,”

Fans and media members are dissecting and analyzing what he did and didn’t say, trying to get a read on his thought process. It’s probably an exercise in futility. And, since we’ll never know what he was really trying to say — assuming there was some sort of hidden meaning — I have a different question.

What is best for Draisaitl?

Where Is Draisaitl Best Suited to Play Long-Term?

Clearly, I can’t read the mind of a player like Leon Draisaitl. But, if we look at a few key factors, it doesn’t take a ton of guessing to see that the Oilers remain one of his best options on a long-term deal.

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First, if he values playing with Connor McDavid, there’s only one place he can do that — Edmonton. Sure, one could argue Draisaitl could leave and then McDavid follow, but the likelihood of that is astronomically low. Sorting that out would take finding a team with cap space, a better chance to win, and that’s in a city they both want to play (and potentially live) in.

Second, if he wants his money, he’ll probably get it with the Oilers. Things could obviously change over the course of the next few months, but should the team continue on its run, he be a big part of that, and the cap keep going up, both sides should be able to find a way to get a deal done. Again, the Oilers might have to make a few contract sacrifices to keep both Draisaitl and McDavid, but such is the case anywhere these two wind up. You don’t pay between $26 and $30 million for two players and expect there not to be casualties.

Third, this is the place Draisaitl knows. He’s spent his career here. The franchise has been good to him and he’s comfortable.

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: ‘Best For Me’ Might Be Edmonton

If Draisaitl chooses to explore free agency, which will be his right in the offseason of 2025, he’ll get to choose his next landing spot. Teams and players have learned searching for something somewhere else doesn’t always work out. It’s not as though he’ll have 31 options to choose from. There will be about 5-8 teams that can fit his contract. From there, we can assume half of those teams won’t be on his radar.

To me, there are only two reasons Draisaitl would contemplate leaving when it’s time to make up his mind. Either he doesn’t like it in Edmonton. Or, the team wants to spend around $13 million in other ways and he knows his time is coming to an end if he’s not open to a team-friendly deal.

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