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Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Draisaitl Chewing Out Oilers Will Get Them Going

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 9:05 AM ET

It’s not often in professional sports you hear players give soundbites to the media in which they are questioning or calling out their coaches or teammates. It’s even rarer to see it happen in hockey, a sport which is widely regarded as having some of the most “team-first” athletes you will ever find.

That said, there are times that players stray from this and do give a quote that sets the hockey world on fire. Take Anthony Stolarz as an example. The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie blasted his team following an overtime loss early on in the 2025-26 season. It garnered plenty of attention largely due to the fact that those types of quotes are a rarity for hockey players. Cue Leon Draisaitl.

The Edmonton Oilers 2025-26 season has been a frustrating and inconsistent one to date. They’ve won just 28 of their 58 games, and entered the Olympic break on a three-game losing skid. That skid, combined with the Oilers’ season as a whole, was enough to see Draisaitl snap.

“You need everybody. It starts with coaches,” Draisaitl said. “You’re never going to win if you have four [or] five guys going. It starts at the top. We can be better, our leaders can be better.

“We’re a different team, we’re not the same team. We’re not as good right now. We’re not even close. We need to understand that. It’s time. When we come back, we’ve got to get going.”

Draisaitl also admitted that there are “saves that [our] goalie needs to make.” Though he did make sure to say that himself and the other leaders need to be better, this felt like flat-out frustration at those around him. That’s perfectly understandable given that he’s having another amazing season with 29 goals and 80 points in 55 games.

Often, players making such pointed comments in the media does not go over well in the locker room. It can cause tension in the room that winds up impacting performance. Coaches calling players can also have a similar response. Oilers fans need not worry, however, as this incident is entirely different.

Draisaitl’s Play Backs It Up

The reason players calling out their teammates can so often backfire is for one of two reasons. The first is that the player doing it isn’t pulling his own weight. The second would be if this type of charade (going to the media) is a common theme. That said, there are also times where it can be effective.

In order be beneficial, they have to come from a player that holds a ton of respect. Draisaitl, a lock to be a Hall of Famer once his career is said and done, has immense respect within the Oilers dressing room. That respect not only comes from his overall career, but the fact that he has been able to elevate his game when the lights are the brightest. He truly leads by example year in and year out.

On pace for his seventh 100-point season, Draisaitl is pulling his weight yet again for the Oilers. This is also the first time in which he’s called out his teammates publicly like this. To no surprise, it’s also his first time ever calling out an Oilers coaching staff publicly. If this were a common theme, it would be received with rolling eyes. With that not being the case, however, it should get everybody, including the coaching staff, to look in the mirror and figure out what needs to be done to turn things around.

Oilers Better Than They’ve Shown

Given the Oilers’ inconsistencies this season, it seems many are forgetting that this is a team who has played in each of the past two Stanley Cup Finals. Perhaps they aren’t as good this season as many suggest, but it isn’t like we haven’t seen them get hot and ramp things up to ridiculous levels. These comments from Draisaitl, paired with the break for everyone to really stew on them, could serve as the injection this team has needed all season long.