Print this page

6. Leon Draisaiti

6. Leon Draisaiti

As we are writing this, Connor McDavid is the star of the Edmonton Oilers, but Leon Draisaitl is right there with him, and his skill set is growing.

The son of former German National Team Player, Peter, Draisaitl, Leon made history as the highest drafted player who was born and trained in Germany when the Oilers took him 3rd overall in 2014.  He didn't do much in his rookie year, scoring only 9 Points in 37 Games, but he would accrue 51 in 2015-16 and followed that with a pair of 70 Point campaigns.  Last year (2018-19), Draisaitl exploded with 50 Goals, 55 Assists, and 105 Points, which were numbers that placed him 2nd, 9th, and 4th respectively in those respective metrics.  He would also go to his first All-Star Game and would lead the NHL in Shooting Percentage.  Draisaitl's game elevated to an elite level in 2019-20, scoring 110 Points, where he won the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy, becoming the first German to win these awards.  He would also win the Pearson Award.   After another solid year in 2020-21 (31-53-84), Draistl matched his Hart Trophy season in Points (110) and set a personal best in Goals with 55, though that was only good enough for ninth in Hart voting that year.

If the Oilers land some strong deep playoff runs and Draisaitl continues his ascension in hockey, he will not only rise on this list but the growing ladder of great German hockey players.  In fact, he is already at the top.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Center
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 3rd Overall in the NHL Draft 6/27/14.
  • Games Played: 638
  • Notable Statistics: 306 Goals
    438 Assists
    744 Points
    206 PIM
    1.17 PPG
    +23 Plus/Minus
    86.0 Point Shares

    49 Games
    31 Goals
    46 Assists
    77 Points
    37 PIM
    1.57 PPG
    +10 Plus/Minus
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Hart Trophy (2020)
    Ted Lindsay Award (2020)
    First Team All-Star (2020)
    Art Ross Trophy (2020)
    First Team All-Star (2020)
    All-Star (2019, 2020, 2022 & 2023)
    Most Assists (2019-20)
    Most Points (2019-20)
    Most Power Play Goals (2020-21 & 2022-23)
    Most Game-Winning Goals (2019-20 & 2021-22)
    Most Points per Game (2019-20)
    Highest Shooting Percentage (2018-19)
    Most Offensive Point Shares (2019-20)

Comments powered by CComment