Edmonton Oilers: Draisaitl’s Career Year Shows Elite Ability

After the conclusion of the Edmonton Oilers’ 2015-16 training camp, Leon Draisaitl was surprised to head back to the AHL. Today, he’s a key part of Edmonton’s roster.

Almost two years ago, the Oilers front office deemed that Draisaitl needed more development. He headed back to Bakersfield, but earned a call-up after impressing there. It was all smooth sailing forward, and he finished with a great season.

That success carried over into 2016-17, where he earned his spot on the opening night roster. After that, he worked his way up to the top six, and eventually, the top line.

Edmonton Oilers

Overall Impact

Draisaitl proved to be a key player for Edmonton, but it did take some time for him to fully impact the team. After just two goals and six points in the month of October, Draisaitl’s totals rocketed over time. By the time he was in December, he was scoring just as many points as there were games.

With consistent numbers and flourishing ability, Draisaitl eventually earned a promotion to the top line, where he played with Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon. On McDavid’s wing, Draisaitl got to improve his shooting, and put up even better numbers. He also got to make key passes and ignite plenty of offence, and helped make up the other part of the NHL’s deadliest duo with McDavid.

Stats

Through 82 games, Draisaitl finished with 29 goals and 77 points and was a plus-7. To add to that, he finished sixth (without ties, ninth) overall in league scoring.

Possession wise, he finished with an even 75 takeaways and giveaways, and a 2.9 relative Corsi. The German forward proved his worth through solid two-way play and outstanding work on the forecheck.

Draisaitl was the Oilers’ second-leading scorer, but also made headlines among the best in the NHL during the postseason. Through 13 playoff games, Draisaitl had six goals and 16 points, and kept the team alive in key moments. Not only did he play well on the top line and the power-play, but he also helped when it came to carrying other lines as a centre.

Proved His Worth

The 21-year-old has shown his overall potential and goes beyond it. He has great speed and is an effective skater, and he can also serve as an asset on special teams. Draisaitl is still up and coming, but continues to get better as he goes.

One of his best areas comes in his passing and playmaking ability. He has great vision and on-ice intelligence, and knows how to make great passes and find the right players open. Not to mention, Draisaitl’s shooting ability can be lethal, as seen from his work on the top line.

With consistency in his play, from the regular season all the way to the IIHFs in his hometown of Cologne, Draisaitl is showing that he is going to be one of the NHL’s elite players. He has tremendous ability and worth, and will certainly see that reflected in his new contract.

Overall Grade: A+

He’s gone above and beyond and proved himself to be amongst the NHL’s best, just a season after he was initially cut from the Oilers’ opening night roster.