Leon Draisaitl was back in the news this past week, not for hockey, but for what looked like an incredible wedding in France. Draisaitl married fiancée Celeste Desjardins with current and former Edmonton Oilers players in attendance, including Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane. Desjardins’ maid of honour was Lauren Kyle McDavid further proving how close Leon and Connor are. Seeing the two couples together might help ease some of the anxiety in Oil Country of McDavid not yet signing his new contract extension this summer.
Seeing Draisaitl look so happy off the ice made me think of things he has to look forward to on the ice – namely joining the NHL’s 1,000 career points club and possibly winning the Stanley Cup. Draisaitl is only 44 points away from joining this exclusive club, and barring injury, should be able to reach the mark at or before Christmas 2025. When he does eventually hit the 1,000-point mark, fans of Draisaitl will more than likely be looking ahead to where he could eventually finish in terms of overall points in NHL history.
Could Draisaitl Become the Greatest European-Born Player in History?
When Draisaitl eventually hits the 1,000-point plateau, he’ll become the 18th European player to hit that mark. Chances are he may never catch Jaromir Jagr’s 1,921 career points, but he might have a chance of catching Alexander Ovechkin who sits at 1,623 and counting, or Teemu Selanne at 1,457 career points. Regardless, hitting 1,000 points will help further enhance Drasaitl’s legacy as not only one of the best European-born players but one of the best players to ever play the game overall.
If Drasaitl continues his high calibre of play, he could easily catch and surpass great players such as Lanny McDonald (1,006), Alexander Mogilny (1,032) and possibly Daniel Sedin (1,041) this season. And he would be within striking distance of Glenn Anderson (1,099), Mike Bossy (1,126) and Bobby Hull (1,170) the following season if all goes according to plan. Not bad for a kid from Germany who was drafted third overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers.
Draisaitl Closing In on All-Time NHL Playoff Leaders
If the Oilers are fortunate enough to go on another long run in the playoffs in the 2025-26 season, you can most likely count on Draisaitl quickly moving up the career playoff scoring rankings. He currently sits in 43rd place overall for playoff points and is within 30 points of the top 20. Draisaitl is only 31 points back of the great Mario Lemieux who is in 19th place overall – accomplishing this would be a feat worth celebrating as Lemieux is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates.
Like McDavid, Draisaitl Only Has One Goal in Mind
Draisaitl, who is one of the most well-spoken players in Oilers history, might tell you that 1,000 points is great. And playing in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games for Germany will undoubtedly be a career highlight, but winning the Stanley Cup is most likely at the top of his list.
Related: Leon Draisaitl Will Get His Chance to Shine at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Both McDavid and Draisaitl have talked about it often over the past few seasons–especially when they were in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final series. Finally getting over the hump and winning the Stanley Cup would be the ideal career milestone for both players. It would also help cement Draisaitl’s legacy as one of the greatest European-born players to ever play the game. The window to win for both Draisaitl and McDavid is now. Oilers management can ill afford to make mistakes as the team prepares for the 2025-26 season. That’s what makes this upcoming season so intriguing for Oilers fans. Winning is important, but hopefully there will be some time to enjoy the milestones along the way, and for Draisaitl, hitting 1,000 points will be a moment truly worth celebrating.
