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

Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl Has Become the Best Player in the World

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Mar 20, 2025 8:45 AM ET

Playing with some of the game’s all-time greats can often hide other players when it comes to being recognized for their own incredible skill. We saw it for years with Mark Messier playing on an Edmonton Oilers team that also had Wayne Gretzky. We’ve seen it with Evgeni Malkin having to play in Sidney Crosby’s shadow for well over a decade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In more recent years, the best example of a player overshadowed by his teammate is Leon Draisaitl.

Oilers fans have been saying for years that the 29-year-old is one of the best players in the game, and they have been absolutely right. Unfortunately, you’ll still have some argue that he’s a byproduct of Connor McDavid, despite the fact they do not play together at even strength.

Draisaitl, who already has a Hart Trophy under his belt, is proving to the world that his success isn’t due to McDavid, but his own skill. While McDavid has had a rather so-so season with 89 points through 62 games, Draisaitl has a league-leading 49 goals. His 101 points are just two shy of Nathan MacKinnon, who currently sits atop the leaderboard.

Draisaitl Sits Atop All NHL Players

Despite being overshadowed at times by McDavid, Draisaitl is still regarded by most as a top-five player in the NHL. That is wildly impressive in its own right, but if we’re being honest, it’s low for the 6-foot-2 centreman. In fact, there is enough of a track record to suggest that he’s the best in the world.

Draisaitl was able to reach the 100-point mark for the fourth-straight season thanks to an overtime winner versus the New York Islanders on Friday. It would have actually marked his seventh-straight 100-point outing, as he had 84 points in the 56-game shortened 2020-21 season. Over those last seven seasons, Draisaitl’s 321 goals lead all NHL players.

What makes Draisaitl all the more special is that he elevates his game to an entirely new level in the playoffs. In the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, he managed 31 points in 25 games, and those totals were viewed as disappointing. He was hampered by injuries, though the fact that his run was looked at in a somewhat poor matter proves just how elite he is in the playoffs.

Draisaitl has logged 74 career playoff games, registering 41 goals and 108 points. His 1.459 points per game in the playoffs are fifth all-time, trailing only Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, McDavid, and Barry Pederson. Being able to elevate your game to another level when the stakes are at their highest is the sign of an elite player, and there is arguably no one who does it better than Draisaitl.

Defensive Play Has Come Around

Another knock on Draisaitl throughout his career is that at times he can be lazy, especially in his own zone. At times, those remarks have been valid, as he is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and at times allowed it to be very clear that he was frustrated. That is often the case for younger players, and Draisaitl, now a well-established veteran, has removed that from his game.

Not only does he not show his frustration as he did earlier in his career, but he is a dog on a bone defensively. He backchecks with the best of them each and every shift, and uses his big frame to prevent other team’s top stars from generating scoring chances. He may never be a Selke Trophy-type player, but there are no holes in his game as there were at one point in his career.

Oilers Have Embarrassment of Riches

While most still revere McDavid as the best player in the game (and for fair reason) the next player you could argue takes that title from him is his own teammate. Draisaitl continues to prove year after year that he is an elite talent with or without McDavid, and there is a growing circle of Oilers fans who truly believe he is the better of the two. Either way, this team is very blessed with the top two forwards in the league, and though they haven’t reached their ultimate goal yet, it’s only a matter of time before this duo wins it all.