When the Edmonton Oilers chose to draft Leon Draisaitl with the third-overall pick in the 2014 Draft, there were some pundits who believed it was the wrong decision. Many projected that the Oilers would instead select Canadian forward Sam Bennett, who was instead snatched up by the Calgary Flames with the very next pick.
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These days, you won’t find anybody questioning that decision by the Oilers. While Bennett has turned into a very valuable player in his own right, Draisaitl is widely considered to be a top-five player in the NHL, if not better. If there were to be a redraft, he would undoubtedly be selected ahead of Aaron Ekblad and Sam Reinhart, who were the first-and second-overall selections in that 2014 class.
Draisaitl is well-established as both one of the best goal scorers and playmakers in the NHL. He’s surpassed the 100-point mark six times in his career, including a career-best 128 points during the 2022-23 season. He’s also hit the 50-goal mark on four separate occasions, proving just how dominant he is when it comes to anything and everything offensively.
To no surprise, given his big totals, Draisaitl has racked up a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Award, and, most recently, a Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. And, as if all of those accolades weren’t impressive enough, the 29-year-old was able to hit another massive achievement in the Oilers’ season opener on Wednesday.
Draisaitl Hits 400-Goal Mark
In the Oilers’ season opener versus the Calgary Flames, Draisaitl was able to find the back of the net in what wound up being a 4-3 shootout loss. While seeing him score came as no surprise, it was the significance of the goal that garnered so much attention.
That goal marked the 400th of Draisaitl’s career, putting him on a shortlist of players who have scored that many in an Oilers sweater. In fact, only three others have reached that number in an Oilers sweater: Glenn Anderson (417), Jari Kurri (474), and Wayne Gretzky (583).
With this season marking just the first of an eight-year contract extension for Draisaitl, it’s quite evident how quickly he’s going to climb that list. He will undoubtedly pass Anderson this season, and, barring injury, should be able to pass Kurri at some point during the 2026-27 season. He’s still got a ways to go before catching Gretzky, but, given the amount of term he has left in his deal, it’s more than reachable should he play his contract out in Edmonton.
Draisaitl needs just 183 goals more to catch Gretzky. Saying “just” may sound like a stretch, as that’s no small feat, but given that he hit the 400-goal mark in just 791 games goes to show just how reachable it is. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, he scores 50 on the nose this season. That puts him at 449. Another 50 the following season would have him at 499, less than 100 back of The Great One.
With no sense of a decline whatsoever, it’s quite possible to envision Draisaitl scoring 200 goals over the next four seasons. That would have him in line to pass Gretzky on the all-time goal list at some point during the 2028-29 season. Health will play a factor, though Draisaitl hasn’t missed much time due to injury throughout his career. In fact, he’s played at least 80 games in three of the past four seasons. He also suited up for all 56 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
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Even if Draisaitl’s game is to slow down slightly over the next few seasons, his chances of surpassing Gretzky seem almost inevitable at this point. Passing Hall of Famers such as Gretzky, Kurri, Andersson, and Mark Messier goes to show just how excellent Draisaitl has been for the Oilers over the years.
