Edmonton Oilers Players in Review: Leon Draisaitl

Good day, Edmonton Oilers fans! My fellow writer Ryan Hunter did a superb job in featuring Tyler Pitlick for the latest edition of Players in Review. Today I will touch up on the Oilers top forward prospect, Leon Draisaitl.

Potential

Leon was drafted 3rd overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Right off the bat his potential is sky high as a result of his valuable draft pedigree. Being a top 5 pick comes with high expectations.

Draisaitl is a big forward standing at 6”1 and weighing 210 lbs. He is a playmaker and will always look to make a nice pass before he decides to shoot. Tremendous lower body strength is what jumps out at me the most when I watch Leon play. It’s almost impossible for an opposing player to knock him off the puck. He can always find a way to power himself towards the net and create scoring chances.

He is very skilled with the puck and can maneuver his way through the tightest of situations whether it be along the boards or in a traffic jam of players. No matter where he may be on the ice, he can always find his line mates and put the puck on their sticks with a crisp pass. He has great vision on the ice and his hockey IQ is above reproach.

Jaromir Jagr and Anze Kopitar come to mind when watching Draisaitl. His overall body strength, playmaking ability and two-way style makes my case to compare him to these two great players.

We are talking about a kid that is projected to be a star in the NHL. A potential first liner that can play a solid two-way game and utilize his size. However, with the arrival of Connor McDavid and the Oilers increased depth at centre, the pressure appears to be lowered for Draisaitl. Not drastically but somewhat. He is naturally a centerman but it seems more than likely he will be forced to convert into a winger.

I think its perfect for Leon to become a winger. He can develop properly with all of the necessary time he needs to hone his skills.

Performance

Last season (2014/2015) we saw Draisaitl, a young 18 year old kid at the time, thrusted into a top 6 second line center role for a team that lacked the necessary depth to compete against NHL competition.

In 37 games Draisaitl mustered 2 goals and added 7 assists for 9 points altogether. Not the most impressive numbers, but obviously that shows he simply wasn’t ready to be a top 6 contributor, let alone an NHL regular. Most of the time he was overwhelmed and overloaded with more than he could handle. He did show flashes of brilliance at times. There is no question he held his own the best he could for as long as he could.

Obviously Leon was in over his head as past management yet again chose to rush another highly touted kid to the NHL and expected him to become the lord and saviour of the team overnight. Such a decision is no longer an option with new management in Edmonton.

Draisaitl was then sent to the powerhouse Kelowna Rockets for the last half of the season. He played like a man amongst boys.

In 32 games he scored 19 times and had 34 assists, finishing the WHL regular season with 53 points. He also lead his team in playoffs with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 19 games. The Rockets on ice success and Draisaitl’s play earned them a trip to the 2015 Memorial Cup. They lost in the championship game in overtime to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.

Draisaitl endured a very successful second half of the season. His own success and dominant play in the juniors will parlay into an important step forward for his development.

Projections

I think Leon Draisaitl is an important piece for the future of the Edmonton Oilers. To me he is an untouchable product as he is only 19 years old and has star potential. He could be a first line winger, but I envision him as a dangerous second line scoring threat.

With the Oilers having much more options and depth at forward, the need to rush Draisaitl into the show is not necessary. Whats wrong with having him start the upcoming season in Bakersfield? He could be the first line stud on that team and gain even more confidence playing in the pros with grown men. If Leon does however make the Oilers out of training camp, his role will be reduced from when he started with the Oilers last season. Expect him to start as a winger on the third line playing with the likes of centerman Anton Lander or Mark Letestu and Lauri Korpikoski or Teddy Purcell occupying the other wing side. If he dominates in camp and proves he is ready to play in the NHL then why fight it?

Having a big bodied stud with major skill in the top 6 is something the Oilers desperately need if they want to run with the big dogs in the Western Conference.

Draisaitl is knocking on the door for a job in the NHL and could get his wish as early as the upcoming season. It might be a smart move to start him in the AHL, but if he has an amazing training camp audition, Peter Chiarelli may have no choice but to make room for the big German. One way or another, this upcoming season will be a pivotal point in Leon’s development as he has the chance to show management what he is capable of at the pro level. I have the utmost confidence that he will be a force at some point for the Edmonton Oilers. It’s only a matter of time.

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