Anyone believing Leon Draisaitl doesn’t belong on the short list of the best players in the NHL just needed to tune in Thursday for a reality check.
The way he dominated the Edmonton Oilers’ first game this season without captain Connor McDavid provided the latest evidence that he’s among the elite of the elite.
Draisaitl was easily the top player on the ice in a 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators. He scored two skillful goals and set up linemate Viktor Arvidsson 37 seconds into the game for his first tally as an Oiler. His performance was an absolute clinic.
Better yet, it was an effort that couldn’t have come at a better time considering the Oilers looked listless after McDavid sustained a lower-body injury on the first shift of a 6-1 drubbing by Columbus on Monday.
“He did it right from the start,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters in Nashville. “He knew with Connor not being here that we needed someone stepping up. Everyone needed to, but the biggest one is your best player.
“Leon is definitely our best player. He didn’t disappoint.”
Spooky Scary S̶m̶a̶s̶h̶v̶i̶l̶l̶e̶ Draisaitl #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/6kAJFIJ3k6
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 1, 2024
The way he froze Predators goalie Juuse Saros before feeding Arvidsson was sublime.
The way he grabbed hold of a loose puck at the offensive blue line, darted in and beat Saros stick side in the second period felt instinctual.
The way he powered his way around defenceman Brady Skjei before flipping a shot past Saros in the third was equal parts powerful and creative.
Thursday’s production pushed Draisaitl to an unbelievable 25 goals and 41 points in his last 16 games against the Predators.
But he was more than just the sum of his offensive stats. Draisaitl was the total package against the Preds, a tour-de-force play-driver. He skated 18:03 at five-on-five and shot attempts favoured the Oilers 21-13 during those minutes, per Natural Stat Trick.
“Everything he did — whether it was key faceoffs (or) goals at the big times — you could tell he was ready to play,” Knoblauch said. “That first shift showed it.”
With McDavid’s absence expected to last between two and three weeks — a timeline that could put him into double digits for games missed — the Oilers need more from everyone up front. They got that in Nashville.
Noah Philp was effective in his first NHL game after a call-up from AHL Bakersfield and recorded an assist.
Drake Caggiula, also recalled from the minors, was noticeable in limited action and, like Philp, helped set up a Corey Perry goal.
Vasily Podkolzin continued his progression, notched his second point of the season and opened eyes by knocking down Jeremy Lauzon in a fight.
Top-six wingers Arvidsson and Zach Hyman bookended the scoring for their first goals of the season.
“You’re never just going to take care of Connor leaving,” Draisaitl said to reporters in Nashville. “There’s always going to be some pieces missing (without him). He’s the best player in the world. We’re certainly going to miss him.
“But it also creates a lot of opportunities, a lot of looks for other players. Everyone did a great job of accepting that and sticking together and playing collectively as a group.”
It’s logical to first think about those lower in the lineup getting chances to play or about those excelling in elevated roles. That’s the group part of the equation that Draisaitl noted.
And then there’s the part about the team’s next best individual taking over, something Knoblauch raved about.
A team’s No. 2 star isn’t always capable of taking his game to another level to pick up the slack when the top guy goes down. Any ability to do so is a luxury.
But Draisaitl’s no ordinary sidekick. His grabbing the reins and leading the Oilers with McDavid out is part of his MO.
Think back to the 2019-20 season when the Oilers played without McDavid seven times because of injury or illness. Draisaitl guided the Oilers to a respectable 3-2-2 record by recording 12 points. That run helped him win the Art Ross Trophy and factored into him being the top vote-getter for the Hart as league MVP.
He was no second fiddle to McDavid then. He sure isn’t one now.
“Obviously, when he’s out, it puts a little bit more pressure on me,” Draisaitl said. “But I love those situations. I think I’ve always been good at stepping up in those moments.”
Draisaitl is up to eight goals and 13 points on the season, easily the team leader in both categories. It’s fair to expect that same offensive rate — and maybe better — without McDavid. That’s what Draisaitl does. It’s why he’s special and well on his way to becoming an all-time great.
And if he does just that and helps pull the 5-5-1 Oilers out of their early slumber, another line will be added to his resume outlining his status as one of the best players of his era.
Not that such a resume needs any beefing up.
(Photo: Steve Roberts / Imagn Images)
