NHL's Joint Contract or Labor Agreement - Top-ranked earnings holder, Draisaitl, remains under the public's radar.
It was believed that a German would never make it as the highest-paid professional in ice hockey worldwide for several decades. But Leon Draisaitl, the German top star, has accomplished this feat with his new NHL megadeal with the Edmonton Oilers. The 28-year-old prodigious forward will rake in 112 million dollars - 14 million per year - over the next eight years, starting next year. By the time the contract ends, Draisaitl will be 37 years old.
Draisaitl commented after the deal announcement, "I owe them something back," at least in NHL terms, on Tuesday (local time). Different from most German athletes, Draisaitl, son of former national striker Peter Draisaitl, is not one for grand statements and likely never will be. Scandal-free, Draisaitl possesses extraordinary talent but prefers to hone his skills year after year during the offseason rather than focusing on his popularity in Germany. As a result, Draisaitl remains somewhat unknown in the public eye in his home country.
His stature in North America far surpasses his fame in Germany
Despite being named Germany's Sportsman of the Year in 2020, following basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki, Draisaitl's popularity in North America is significantly higher. In 2020, Draisaitl's exceptional play was no longer overlooked in Germany. Four years prior, he became the league's top scorer and was also named the league's most valuable and best player, making him the best globally.
The Edmonton Oilers' general manager, Stan Bowman, summed up his contract, "There is hardly a player in the world who can play ice hockey like him." The dedicated Draisaitl, who is engaged to Canadian actress Celeste Desjardins, is a regular at the NHL All-Star Games, scores over a hundred scorer points every year, and has surpassed 50 goals per season for the Oilers three times. However, only an NHL championship would likely push Draisaitl to another level in Germany.
This year, the Oilers came close to winning the Stanley Cup but lost the final series to Florida 3-4, partly due to Draisaitl's injury during the crucial playoff phase. "Obviously, we haven't completed our mission yet," Draisaitl said. He is determined to achieve the ultimate goal with the team, and everyone knows what that is. The team will return for the next season, and only then will Draisaitl's new contract begin. However, this might make the task of winning the Stanley Cup in the following eight years more challenging.
Salary Cap as an obstacle in the long-awaited quest for the Stanley Cup?
In the NHL, a salary cap limits every team from exceeding their annual spending. The Oilers also boast an even bigger star: captain Connor McDavid, often regarded as the best player in the world at present. McDavid is anticipated to re-sign next year and is expected to surpass Draisaitl as the highest-paid player in the world. Consequently, less money may become available for the team's other top performers. However, widespread concerns that the team will significantly weaken due to the release of key players are unlikely to materialize. In fact, the salary cap grows annually.
This is because it correlates with the league's annual revenues, and the NHL is flourishing with the legalization of sports betting and the growth of new markets in Las Vegas and Seattle. Thus, significant increases are expected in the near future. Nonetheless, ice hockey stars lag behind in terms of salary compared to other sports.
However, the 2005-introduced salary cap in the league also contributes to the modest salary disparities between top stars and mid-tier players as opposed to other sports. The days when even decent German players in the NHL earned more than German football's top stars, despite the escalating revenues in the English Premier League or the European Champions League, have long passed.
In comparison, US major league salaries for top stars are significantly higher. For instance, baseball player Shohei Ohtani earns an incomprehensible 700 million dollars over ten years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the NBA, basketball stars pocket substantially more than Draisaitl. The German national player Franz Wagner, whose value pales in comparison to Draisaitl, takes home 40 million dollars annually in Orlando.
However, there are two other reasons for the differences between the NHL and NBA: The NBA can be promoted globally more effectively than ice hockey, causing many regions to miss out. Moreover, money is distributed among fewer players in basketball, with a team's roster consisting of approximately half as many players as in ice hockey.
Despite his new lucrative contract, Leon Draisaitl admitted, "I'm not going to lie, I still have unfinished business in the NHL." Although his fame in Germany is less pronounced compared to his success in North America, Draisaitl expressed, "Winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal, not just the new contract."
