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

Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl Believed to Be Battling Injury

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated May 12, 2025 3:40 PM ET

Statistically, Leon Draisaitl has continued to be his usual dominant self in the playoffs with five goals and 15 points through nine games. The 29-year-old has established himself as arguably the best postseason performer in the NHL, outside of Connor McDavid.

Though Draisaitl is producing offence and coming through in big moments for the Edmonton Oilers in these playoffs, he’s been disappointing overall, particularly in the Second Round. He hasn’t taken over games as we’ve become accustomed to, prompting much speculation that he is playing at far less than 100 per cent.

Draisaitl Missed Time in Regular Season

In March, Draisaitl missed time after an awkward fall versus the Utah Hockey Club. The Oilers, knowing they weren’t in danger of missing the playoffs, played it safe with the German superstar, but he returned to the lineup only to reinjure himself a short time later versus the San Jose Sharks. It’s still unclear what he injured or if he reaggravated the previous injury, but it kept him out of the lineup until Game 1 of the team’s First-Round series against the LA Kings.

What did seem clear was that his most recent injury was a lower-body issue. The fact that he wasn’t able to return at any point late in the regular season suggested he might not have been healthy heading into the playoffs, and that appears to be the case right now.

Draisaitl has been uncharacteristically soft on pucks along the boards, which is usually an area where he excels. He also seems off, particularly against the Vegas Golden Knights, at distributing the puck. His passing game is usually elite, though in this series, he’s giving the puck away more often than he is putting it on his teammates’ tape.

Right now, Draisaitl is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as fans continue to debate whether it was his fault that he deflected a Reilly Smith shot into the back of his own net with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Golden Knights a shocking 4-3 victory in Game 3. However, we can expect he will come out hungrier in Game 4 as a result, though his speculated injury might not allow it.

Oilers Have Gotten By with Draisaitl Injury Before

While not having a fully healthy Draisaitl would be a huge blow to the team, the Oilers have had playoff success before when he isn’t at 100 per cent. In last year’s postseason, he was clearly battling something, particularly in the Western Conference and Stanley Cup Final. However, the Oilers’ depth stepped up and helped carry the load, while McDavid went nuclear and won the Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing the championship to the Florida Panthers.

Draisaitl has also excelled in the past when he’s banged up in the playoffs. He suffered a high-ankle sprain early in the 2022 postseason and still recorded a ridiculous 32 points in 16 games. He is tough and can battle through injury, but it’s clear right now that he’s not his usual self.

To not only knock off the Golden Knights but get back to the Cup Final for a second straight year, the Oilers need Draisaitl to find a way to take over games like he’s capable of doing. Monday’s Game 4 should be a good indication as to his health, as he would normally use last game’s error as motivation to come out with a massive effort. If he can’t, there should be serious concern over the state of his health.