Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl has spent much of his NHL career in the shadows of teammate Connor McDavid, but he’s an inspiring showman, too.
The top German-born player in NHL history is a powerhouse whenever he touches a sheet of ice, especially when you put a stick in his hands. He excels as a skater, goalscorer, and playmaker and is a box-office ticket.
Draisaitl was picked second overall in the 2012 CHL Import Draft by the Prince Albert Raiders. After two standout seasons there, the teenager was traded to the Kelowna Rockets during the 2015 World Junior Championships. He led the Rockets to that year’s WHL title and was named playoff MVP after racking up 28 points in just 19 games. He also won Memorial Cup MVP, although the boys didn’t win the championship, falling to the Oshawa Generals. Still, a star was in the making, and Edmonton chose him as their savior with the third overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Early Years:
After being selected by the Oilers in 2014, Draisaitl made history as the highest-drafted German-trained player in NHL history. He made his country proud by quickly making a name for himself in the big leagues. The forward played 37 games with Edmonton in the 2014–15 season before being returned to junior hockey to delay his free-agency eligibility. If he reached 40 games, he would hit the market a year earlier.
By the 2016–17 season, both Draisaitl and the Oilers were in lockstep. Draisaitl had a breakout year, finishing with 29 goals and 77 points, and helped Edmonton end the “Decade of Darkness” and reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored his first NHL playoff goal in a crucial Game 6 win against the San Jose Sharks and recorded a hat-trick in Game 6 of the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, becoming the second youngest Oiler to do so. Unfortunately, the Oilers were eliminated by the Ducks in Game 7.
Transforming into a Superstar:
In the Summer of 2017, the 22-year-old inked a massive eight-year, $68 million deal with the Oilers, putting him at an $8.5 million cap hit yearly. Since then, he’s proven to be worth every penny. Draisaitl has been nothing short of a game-changer for the Oilers. In 2017, he notched 50 goals and 100 points for the first time. Then came the 2019-2020 season, which saw him hit 110 points and snag the Art Ross Trophy as the top scorer and the Hart Trophy as MVP.
By 2022, the superstar was setting new personal records with 55 goals and matching his career-best 110 points. He wrapped up the 2023-24 regular season with 41 goals and 106 points. Then, in the playoffs, the 29-year-old played a crucial role in the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. Now entering his contract year, he’s due for a record payday, but whether it’ll be with the Oilers or another team in free agency next Summer remains to be seen as of this writing.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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