When it comes to the playoffs in any sport, teams look to individuals to take their game to the next level. Michael Jordan did that most famously with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. In the NHL, Leon Draisaitl is becoming that player for the Edmonton Oilers.
Ever since coming into the league, Draisaitl has had a knack for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And while he may not get the recognition he deserves because he plays on the same team as Connor McDavid, one thing is for sure, when the lights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs turn on Draisaitl ups his game.
So far through seven games in the playoffs, Draisaitl leads all players with 11 goals and 15 points. He continues to show his value for the Oilers. In the first-round series alone, he had seven goals and 11 points in a six games series against the Los Angeles Kings. Through the first games of the series, he factored in on almost every Oilers goal.
Leon Draisaitl’s 11 goals are the most through a player’s first 7 games of a postseason in over 100 years:
Newsy Lalonde (1919) – 15
Leon Draisaitl (2023) – 11
Babe Dye (1922) – 11
Maurice Richard (1944) – 10
Steve Payne (1981) – 10#LetsGoOilers— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 4, 2023
Nothing changed in Game 1 of Round 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Draisaitl was a man on a mission trying to will the team to victory. He netted four goals, two on the power play. That is nothing new for him as he netted a record 32 power-play goals during the regular season.
Even still, his efforts were not enough as the Oilers fell short in a high-scoring affair with the Golden Knights.
But this is nothing new for the Oilers and Oilers fans. Just remember last year against the Calgary Flames in the second round. Draisaitl put up 17 points with a high ankle sprain in five games. Just think about that for a second. He single-handedly took the Flames out of the playoffs last year.
Leon Draisaitl’s 11 goals are the most through a player’s first 7 games of a postseason in over 100 years:
Newsy Lalonde (1919) – 15
Leon Draisaitl (2023) – 11
Babe Dye (1922) – 11
Maurice Richard (1944) – 10
Steve Payne (1981) – 10#LetsGoOilers— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 4, 2023
And while some will say he is a product of McDavid, Draisaitl has come into his own as a goal scorer in the league. He can score anywhere on the ice with the shot he has. When the Oilers put McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line they feed off each other.
McDavid gets most of the attention thus leading Draisaitl wide open. You can’t stop both of them. It is hard enough to contain them. But when head coach Jay Woodcroft splits them up, Draisaitl shows he is good enough to carry a line on his own. That is where he turned into a great player for the Oilers.
With each passing year, he has only gotten better and better. His effort is there night in and night out. He is never satisfied. Even after his four-goal performance, he was not happy with the result or even his performance because the team did not win.
Many people will they did not see this coming, but Draisatil has had a knack for the big stage going back to his World Junior days with Team Germany. Draisaitl is one of those players that loves the big stage and thrives when the lights are the brightest.
Even with the individual awards he has won in the NHL already, like his teammate Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl will not be satisfied until he wins a Stanley Cup.