The Edmonton Oilers are second in the Pacific Division, and they have Leon Draisaitl to thank for that. While their 27-13-3 record through 43 games was largely expected, how they got there has been somewhat surprising.
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Few would have imagined that halfway through the season, Zach Hyman would have just 14 goals after scoring a career-high 54 in 2023-24. Most would have also expected Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to have more than 24 points. Newcomers such as Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner were projected to have far bigger offensive contributions by now, as well. On top of all that, Evan Bouchard has also taken a step back with 32 points.
Had fans heard those totals before the season began, they might have assumed the Oilers would struggle, but thanks in large part to Draisaitl, they haven’t.
Draisaitl Has Changed His Game
Draisaitl seems to have taken his game to an even higher level this season. The 29-year-old is second in NHL scoring with 64 points and leads the league in goals with 31. He’s on pace for 59 goals, which would set a new career high.
Barring injury, it looks like this will be the sixth season in which Draisaitl has eclipsed the 100-point marker. That’s not surprising, as aside from Connor McDavid, he’s been the NHL’s most productive point producer for nearly a decade. That said, there have been other important changes to his game.
Draisaitl is known for raising his game when the stakes are highest, proven by his 108 points in 74 career playoff games. In the past, however, he has sometimes been known to take shifts – and even sometimes games – off. That hasn’t been the case in 2024-25.
While McDavid has also been outstanding this season, Draisaitl is driving the bus. Not only is he leading the team in goals and points, but he also has a ridiculous plus-27 rating – the next highest Oiler is Mattias Ekholm with a plus-15. Draisaitl’s two-way game has evolved dramatically this season, with the most responsible two-way game Oilers fans have ever seen from him. Not only is he playing at an elite level in the defensive zone, but he is backchecking at a level he hasn’t shown in the past.
Draisaitl has been known to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and there are times when it’s clear he is frustrated, and it shows in his play. Whether it be a slow line change, getting back late on a backcheck, or staying on the ice for seconds after he gets knocked off the puck, parts of his game have frustrated Oilers fans in the past and have given him the reputation from those outside the market of sometimes being lazy.
Even Oilers fans are aware that, even if he isn’t lazy, some nights he hasn’t been completely dialled in. Whether it’s coming so close to winning the Stanley Cup a season ago that has motivated him, those off-nights have vanished from his game.
Draisaitl a True Hart Candidate
Playing alongside McDavid, Draisaitl is sometimes overshadowed, similar to what we saw with Evgeni Malkin playing alongside Sidney Crosby. While McDavid is undoubtedly the best player in the NHL, he’s been second-fiddle to Draisaitl this season.
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If it weren’t for Draisaitl’s unbelievable play through the first half of the season, the Oilers wouldn’t be nearly this successful. Some of their other top players have really struggled thus far, yet the team is just four points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the Pacific Division. This new version of Draisaitl is what fans have always wanted to see, and he should be a frontrunner for the Hart Trophy.
