Stan Bowman made many statements in his first night as General Manager, but one about Leon Draisaitl may have Oilers fans excited. While many weren't happy about the decision, the Edmonton Oilers revealed Stan Bowman as their newest GM, and now he's looked to appease fans on his first night. When talking with the media, the former Blackhawks GM addressed the free agency of star forward Leon Draisaitl, noting that he wants him to be an Oiler for life, making that a priority in his first year in the role. <q>Leon is a star player and he's top priority for me. I want Leon to be an Oiler for life, via Preston Hodgkinson of Daily Hive.</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHLHodgkinson/status/1816195795160555841'> </a></blockquote></div> Draisaitl will be a free agent in the summer of 2025, with the team noting they would love to get a deal done before that, but to do so, they would potentially need to make him the highest paid player in the NHL. To give Oilers fans confidence, insider David Pagnotta has revealed recently that a deal could happen, sooner rather than later. <q>«They're going to continue their discussions with respect to an extension. Unless something has changed, since, I guess, the start of the playoffs, it's more likely to see an Auston Matthews-esque-type extension. «Four, five-year deal. Or, anywhere between a three to five-year extension versus a full eight, said Pagnotta.</q> Pagnotta's prediction is a short-term extension to give the Oilers a chance to win one or potentially multiple Stanley Cup's, and with Connor McDavid set for free agency in the summer of 2026, what happens here could effect that in a big way. With Bowman looking to make a positive impact early in his time as Oilers GM, expect them to push things to get a deal done before the 2024/25 campaign begins. Source: SportsKeeda <a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/news-stan-bowman-addresses-68m-leon-draisaitl-s-impending-contract-extension-oilers?key2=1973308&fbclid=IwY2xjawEPJeBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHURJJwCKUbVMuBWZLHLymoITlWMHJUfkjGDdGSotv1n05-RNTwROa5FGZA_aem_V_BbdHk1DlhQOqLLIHZlVQ' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Stan Bowman addresses Leon Draisaitl's impending contract extension with Oilers</a>