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Oilers' Kris Knoblauch Raises Eyebrows With Leon Draisaitl Comments

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 15, 2025 11:54 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers took down the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 to advance to the Western Conference Final. The Oilers will now await the winner between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, setting up a strong matchup either way.

Edmonton was able to overpower the Golden Knights throughout the series, shutting down a normally explosive Vegas attack. The Oilers have won eight of their past nine playoff games this season, and this team feels like they are on a mission to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

But much of this success has been about the defense from the unit, including star Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl is known for his incredible offense, but he has been sacrificing for the greater good of the team this postseason.

His coach, Kris Knoblauch, has noticed and had some interesting comments on the star player.

“In my opinion, Leon should win the Hart Trophy,” Knoblauch said about the race for the League’s regular-season most valuable player. “Maybe he doesn’t because he missed the last couple of weeks [because of injury], but I don’t think that’s enough for him not to win it.”

If the Oilers are going to win the Stanley Cup this year, they will need Draisaitl to continue his consistent efforts. Edmonton has been shaky on defense in the past, and it has led them to come up short in the quest for a title.

“Because I want to win and know sometimes that’s what it takes to win,” Draisaitl said. “I can put my own stats on the back burner for a couple of months if that means that we’re going to be the last team standing. Obviously we have a long ways to go, but whatever it is, I’ll gladly do that.”

But this team feels a little different, and it all starts with the leaders of the team.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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