Leon Draisaitl is a Superstar in His Own Right

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers—who doesn’t love this duo? They’re fun, exciting, ridiculously skilled, and always entertaining. The Oilers never disappoint me.

Connor McDavid, in my opinion, is the best hockey player in the world. That’s my opinion, there will be no further questions. He’s been proving it since his days with the Erie Otters, showing more talent in his pinky toe than a good portion of the league. That might sound mean, but I don’t mean it offensively—I’m just pointing out how freaking good he is. And yeah, his skill elevates the guys around him.

Now, onto Leon Draisaitl. For years, people have tried to argue that he only succeeds because he plays with McDavid. Anyone who actually watches Oilers games knows that’s just not true. Draisaitl and McDavid don’t even play on the same line most of the time. Sure, they’re on the power play together, but if that’s your argument, keep the same energy for other duos like Marner & Matthews or MacKinnon & Makar. It’s just not a valid point. Yeah, there are moments when Draisaitl ends up on McDavid’s wing—after a penalty kill, when they need a goal, or late in a period—but for the most part, they run separate lines.

And honestly, even if you ignore all that, just look at what Draisaitl has done. He’s centered the second line for years, often with wingers who aren’t even close to his level of talent. And yet? He’s had three consecutive 100+ point seasons. He can take over a game in an instant. He’s fast, aggressive, has an unreal shot, and creates space for himself like few others can.

When McDavid was out with an injury earlier in the 24-25 season, Draisaitl took over the team. Todd McLellan once told him, “You don’t always have to be the second-best player on the ice.” And he’s proven that time and time again. His passing alone makes that obvious—have you seen a better backhand passer than Draisaitl? His positioning is elite, his stickhandling is underrated, and he’s got insane poise with the puck. He knows when to speed up and when to slow things down to create a play out of nothing. Sometimes he looks like he’s standing still, but good luck taking the puck from him. He uses his body to power through defensive gaps, and his shooting accuracy is ridiculous—he finds the smallest openings and hammers it home.

All I’m saying is… he’s unreal, and I’m tired of hearing that he just feeds off McDavid.