HENDERSON, Nev. — Leon Draisaitl chuckles when the question he knows is coming finally arrives.
The Edmonton Oilers superstar is highly aware that only two more years — two more chances to go the distance with Connor McDavid — are guaranteed.
That his sweetheart of a contract ($8.5 million cap hit) is up for an extension on July 1 and expires in 2025, the same summer McDavid can start negotiating his next raise, too.
That his videogame stat line (a rather quiet 52-goal, 128-point effort in 2022-23) and superhuman post-season reputation will give him enough ammunition to one day eclipse Auston Matthews as the league's highest-paid player.
And that paying both he and McDavid what they're worth could affect Edmonton's contention window down the road.
So, does Draisaitl ever think about his future?
"I knew that question was coming," Draisaitl smiled Wednesday, recording for 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
"Of course, I do. But I'm gonna give you the most cliché answer right now. I'm in Edmonton right now. I want to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton. We'll see what happens."
Because of that giant question mark looming in 2025, because of 2023's heartbreaking loss to the eventual champion Golden Knights, the urgency to get 'er done in 2024 feels higher than ever in the McDavid-Draisaitl era.
"We talked about it, Connor and me. We want to win so badly. We've talked about it over and over again. We want to do it," Draisaitl said.
"But our organization wants to win, and that's the feeling I love the most. Everyone that's around, the feeling that we have is about winning. It's hard. It will be really, really hard to win next season. But I got all of the belief and all the trust in the organization as a whole that we can get it done.
"And I get that same feeling from everyone in our organization. And that's a great feeling to have. That's the best starting point you can have to start a year."
Draisaitl is an intense and competitive man.
But he describes his training camp mindset not as angry but rather focused. Repeated disappointment and raised expectations will do that.
He freely admits that last spring's second-round defeat to Vegas in six games hurt more than any previous playoff loss.
"Absolutely. I think we all felt that way. It really felt like we can beat any team, and I still stand by that today," said Draisaitl, encouraged by the off-season addition of Connor Brown and a full 82 with deadline pickup Mattias Ekholm.
"I do think we're a better team. I think we're more mature. We've learned from last season," Draisaitl said.
"I'm also looking forward to another great chance of chasing what we all want."
Because who really knows how many more of these chances, in this city, with these teammates, Draisaitl will get?
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