Oilers' Leon Draisaitl Breaks Silence on Connor McDavid's Contract Stalemate

McDavid, who also spoke on the podcast, made it clear he is in no rush, leaving Draisaitl to emphasize patience during his teammate's talks with Edmonton's brass.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m nervous about it or anything like that. Obviously, I hope that it gets done,” Draisaitl said. “I hope that something will show up and get done in the next little bit here. And then if it doesn’t, that’s his right and his decision as well. I think there is a lot of factors that play into it.”

Asked if the uncertainty could derail the Oilers’ season, Draisaitl downplayed the idea.

“If anything, the media is going to make it a distraction,” Draisaitl said. “We have one job, (and) we’re excited to start up again and create our team, create our dynamic within our team, and what type of team we’re going to be. He’s obviously going to be a part of that.”

McDavid is as vital for the Oilers' chances at winning the Stanley Cup as it gets, as he showed once again last season by producing at his usual pace, finishing the year with 100 points in 67 regular-season games and adding a playoff-leading 33 points in 22 postseason games.

As good as McDavid was, Draisaitl finished the year topping his teammate, notching 106 total points (52 goals, 54 assists) in 71 regular-season games. Draisaitl then added a playoffs-best 33 points in 22 postseason outings.

Draisaitl insisted he isn’t pressing McDavid for answers, even though the pair are close friends since joining the Oilers in back-to-back offseasons.

“Of course, there’s a conversation about it every once in a while, but it’s not like we talk about it every week,” Draisaitl said. “I’m not texting him like ‘hey, where are you at? What’s going on?’ It’s not like that. I give him his space, I give them their time. They’re going to figure it out.”