Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers and restricted free agent Leon Draisaitl agreed on an eight-year, $68 million contract extension through the 2024-25 NHL season on Wednesday.

Edmonton announced the deal via its official website. Draisaitl will carry an $8.5 million cap hit each season for the duration of the new contract.

The 21-year-old German center has made steady improvement since the Oilers selected him with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft.

Draisaitl tallied just nine points (two goals and seven assists) in 37 games during his first NHL season, but he's put up 128 points (48 goals and 80 assists) in 154 appearances over the past two years to emerge as one of the league's most promising players.

Micah Blake McCurdy of HockeyViz provided a closer look at the forward's impact:

Draisaitl also provides the Oilers with lineup flexibility. He's spent a lot of time playing right wing alongside Connor McDavid, which has helped bolster his scoring totals, but he's capable of returning to his natural center position to give the lines more depth when needed.

It's the second massive contract extension Edmonton has handed out this offseason. The front office previously signed McDavid, the heir apparent to Sidney Crosby as the face of the NHL, to an eight-year, $100 million deal in July.

With two of the franchise's essential building blocks locked in to long-term deals, the Oilers will look to become perennial championship contenders. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs last season before getting eliminated in seven games by the Anaheim Ducks.

Reigning NHL MVP Connor McDavid signed a massive, eight-year contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers, the team announced Wednesday.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the deal is expected to pay him $12.5 million per season.

The 20-year-old megastar was dominant in his second NHL campaign, registering 30 goals and 70 assists for 100 points to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.

McDavid also won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, as well as the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the NHL's most outstanding player, as voted on by players.

Most impressively, McDavid was the driving force behind Edmonton's return to the playoffs in 2016-17 after a decade-long drought.

It was clear during McDavid's rookie season, 2015-16, that he was a special player poised to dominate the league for many years to come.

An injury limited the former No. 1 overall draft pick to 45 games, but he still managed 16 goals and 32 assists for 48 points.

Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli made it clear in May that locking up the phenom long term was his top priority, according to NHL.com's Derek Van Diest.

Chiarelli also suggested he would be able to put together a strong roster moving forward even though McDavid would take up a sizable chunk of salary-cap space:

"Cap-wise, we're OK next year, we could basically stay the same, it's the following year when Mr. McDavid's contract will kick in, so I have to be cognizant of that. But we've got a lot of different rosters we've looked at in the sense, at numbers, numbers for specific guys, term. But the [NHL salary] cap is expected to stay flat or raise a little bit, so we're working off $73 [million], $74 [million], $75 [million] and we'll see where it's at. We'll certainly have the resources to put another contending team in place."

Edmonton has a number of promising, young pieces around McDavid, and as long as he is on the team, the Oilers have a chance to be competitive.

McDavid is similar to Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby in that regard, especially since he makes those around him better.

There is little doubt McDavid will be the face of the NHL in the coming years, and Edmonton has put itself in position to vie for multiple Stanley Cups by keeping him in the fold.

Former Edmonton Oilers winger Dave Semenko died of cancer at the age of 59, the team announced in a statement Thursday. 

The Oilers said the following regarding Semenko's passing:

"It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Oilers legend Dave Semenko after a short, but courageous battle with cancer. Dave will be remembered as a fierce competitor, loyal teammate, fan favorite and dear friend to so many. His legendary toughness on the ice is surpassed only by his kindness and caring for others, and his equally legendary wit and sense of humor. Our hearts go out to Dave's family and many friends. Once an Oiler, always an Oiler."

Semenko joined the Oilers prior to the 1977-78 season when they were part of the WHA, and he remained with the organization through the 1986-87 campaign.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, native was best known for his role as an enforcer who protected superstar Wayne Gretzky on the ice and wasn't afraid to drop the gloves when needed.

TSN Chris Cuthbert summed up Semenko's legacy both on and off the ice:

In 575 career NHL games with the Oilers, Hartford Whalers and Toronto Maple Leafs, Semenko registered 65 goals and 88 assists for 153 points, along with 1,175 penalty minutes.

He was part of the Oilers' Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1984 and 1985, and he produced 10 points in 19 playoff games during their 1983-84 Cup run.

Semenko had a stint as a color commentator for the Oilers following his retirement, and he also had a short run as an assistant coach with the organization before transitioning to a scouting role until 2015.

The Edmonton Oilers and reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid are reportedly nearing an agreement on a deal worth approximately $106 million.

On Wednesday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported McDavid's extension is likely to clock in at "around" $13.25 million annually over eight years.

The NHL's reigning MVP, McDavid became the third-youngest player in league history to take home the Hart Trophy after he scored 30 goals and tallied 70 assists during his second season with the Oilers.

By compiling a league-high 100 points, the 20-year-old nabbed the Art Ross Trophy as he propelled the Oilers to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

The 103 points Edmonton registered were also the franchise's most since it produced 106 during the 1986-87 campaign.

Should the 2015 No. 1 overall pick secure a deal that pays him north of $13 million annually, he will become one of the league's highest-paid players.

According to Spotrac, Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane owns the highest average annual figure for the 2017-18 season at $10.5 million.

In terms of total cash value, Washington Capitals left winger Alexander Ovechkin has the NHL's richest contract at $124 million. He's trailed by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber ($110 million) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby ($104.4 million).

Former NHL center Mike Comrie won't face rape charges following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault at his Los Angeles residence in February.

On Saturday, TMZ Sports reported prosecutors cited "reasonable doubt" over the accusation of non-consensual anal sex.

The accuser told police she was one of two women with Comrie on Feb. 11. The first woman had consensual sex with the retired hockey player and left. Then the accuser also had consensual sex with Comrie but said he crossed a line by forcing her into sodomy, per TMZ Sports.

Prosecutors obtained an audio recording from the woman's phone, which she recorded after a second consensual encounter. In it, the 36-year-old longtime NHL player sounded "heavily intoxicated," per the report. He stated all of the acts were consensual.

Ryan Parry of the Daily Mail reported in March that Comrie, the ex-husband of singer Hilary Duff, submitted a DNA sample for testing during the investigation.

TMZ Sports added that examiners at a rape treatment center were unable to determine whether injuries the woman suffered came from consensual or non-consensual sex.

Comrie was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round of the 1999 NHL draft. He played for six teams across a 10-year career. He last played with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2010-11 season.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid won the 2017 Hart Trophy, awarded to the league's most valuable player, at the NHL Awards on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

McDavid, 20, beat out Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for the honor: 

According to Sportsnet Stats, McDavid is the fourth-youngest player in league history to capture the Hart Trophy. 

Also the 2016-17 Art Ross Trophy winner, McDavid led the NHL with 100 points as he racked up 30 goals and a league-high 70 assists. To put that cumulative total in perspective, Crosby and Patrick Kane tied for second, with 89 points apiece. 

Thanks to his ability to stuff the stat sheet at a rapid rate, McDavid became the third-youngest player in league history, behind Crosby and Wayne Gretzky, to win the Art Ross. 

According to NHL.com, McDavid also led the league with 30 multipoint games and 11 games with at least three points. 

Thanks to McDavid's point-scoring prowess, the Oilers finished 47-26-9 and made their first postseason appearance since 2006 as the franchise got a glimpse at what its future could look like. 

"It's crazy to think about," McDavid said in April, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I look at this time last year, and it was a real dark period. We were out of it, the fans were hard on us and not a lot of good things were going on. But we're definitely happy to be in this position this year."

Now in possession of the league's most coveted individual hardware, McDavid will attempt to build on his sensational 2016-17 campaign and propel the Oilers back on to the Stanley Cup stage next season.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid continues his move into the spotlight, earning a spot on the cover of NHL 18. 

Sportsnet provided a look at the 20-year-old on the latest edition of the hockey video game:

The game will be available worldwide on September 15, per Sportsnet's Steven Loung.

EA Sports also provided a trailer for the upcoming game, which includes some impressive graphics and a three-on-three arcade mode:

The game is labeled the "young stars edition," which makes McDavid the perfect choice for the cover.

Despite being just 20 years old, the center led the NHL with 70 assists and 100 points, winning the Ross Trophy in the process. He also named the Ted Lindsay Award winner Wednesday as the league's most outstanding player.

Beating out finalists Sidney Crosby and Brent Burns for the award showed just how good McDavid already is at such a young age.

Considering he has already led the Oilers to the second round of the playoffs, the sky is the limit for the young player.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid won the 2017 Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday night at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. 

McDavid beat out Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns for the honor, which is given to the league's most outstanding player, as voted on by members of the NHL Players' Association. 

Still just 20 years old, McDavid left his mark on the 2016-17 season in a big way. Over the course of 82 games, the 2015 No. 1 overall pick racked up 30 goals and a league-high 70 assists to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top point-scorer.

"It means so much to me," McDavid said upon winning the Art Ross, per NHL.com. "I would not be in this position if it weren't for the guys on the team, guys like Leon [Draisaitl] and [Patrick Maroon], those guys that I play with all year long. Even up and down the lineup, it's such an honor to be able to play with this group." 

McDavid's sensational stylings set the tone for the Oilers all year long, and as a result, they made a return to the postseason for the first time since 2006. 

All told, Edmonton went 47-26-9 to finish with 103 points—the team's most since it won the Stanley Cup in the 1986-87 season. 

And considering he's still not of legal drinking age, the Ted Lindsay should merely represent the first of many trophies that will find their way to McDavid's mantle. 

Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid finished Sunday with two assists against the Vancouver Canucks to total 100 points for the season.

While Sunday's effort wasn't required to lead the league in scoring, McDavid—aged 20 years and two months—became the third-youngest player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy, per Sportsnet Stats. Sidney Crosby was the youngest to do it at 19 years and eight months, with Gretzky just slightly ahead of McDavid, also at 20 years and two months.

Coincidentally, Crosby finished tied for second in scoring this season, but McDavid cleared him and Chicago's Patrick Kane by 11 points. The two assists did get the third-year forward to triple digits for the season, making him the first Oilers player since Doug Weight in 1995-96 to do so, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Billed as a generational player coming out of the 2015 NHL entry draft, McDavid has certainly lived up to his expectations as the top overall pick. Just a year removed from having the worst record in the league, Edmonton now sports the second-best record in the Pacific Division and earned the fourth seed and home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Edmonton begins a series with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Should the club emerge from the matchup, the second series will come against either the Anaheim Ducks or the Calgary Flames. While the group may not be one of the favorites this season to win it all, the Oilers—led by their 20-year-old captain—possess a young core with plenty of promise for the future.

Brazilian model and actress Greice Santo has alleged that Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz offered her "millions" of dollars in exchange for sex in a defamation lawsuit filed by her husband on Monday. 

According to Variety's Gene Maddaus, Santo "alleges that she was twice lured to the hotel room of Daryl Katz, the Canadian billionaire who owns the Edmonton Oilers, with promises that he could help her acting career. Santo says that although she spurned Katz’s advances, she later received two wire transfers totaling $35,000." 

"This is so common, but most girls and women—they are afraid of coming out," Santo told Maddaus. "I feel like me coming out will give courage and inspire so many girls who go through the same thing I went through."

Katz, who purchased the Oilers in 2008, also helps run Silver Pictures as the company's financier.

In a statement that was filed with the lawsuit, Santo alleged she met with Katz in a hotel room at the Four Seasons in Hawaii—where she had been flown to for a photo shoot. 

"Katz said he could put me in a big role that would change my life and then switched the conversation and said he'd rather give me money," Santo wrote in the statement. 

Santo also alleged that Katz said he "was talking about millions" and that he was "looking for companionship and sex."

According to Maddaus, "Katz does not deny meeting with Santo but has alleged that some elements of her story have been misconstrued."

In a statement, attorney Dennis Roach called the allegations against Katz "false, malicious and entirely without merit."