2014 Draft - 3rd OV: Leon Draisaitl

[CupofOil]

Great call Cuppy! And I was right for once

Made up for the Schremp call, eh?

The ironic thing about my Brule vs. Kopitar comparison is that I was one of the biggest Brule fans on this board when everybody was touting Gagner as the better player so I can relate to you with the stand alone devotion to a player gone wrong.

 

[Bangers]

Bingo. And watching him in junior, he got absolutely dominated in the playoffs in his draft season.

The fact he's at this point is amazing. Anyone who truly thinks they saw this coming is a liar.

I was pretty ambivalent about picking either Bennett or Draisaitl, but gave Drai the nod just because I thought he fit the Oilers' need for size down the middle a bit better.

I never thought he would be as good as he's been.

 

[Aerchon]

Bingo. And watching him in junior, he got absolutely dominated in the playoffs in his draft season.

The fact he's at this point is amazing. Anyone who truly thinks they saw this coming is a liar.

It's been forever but didn't he have like 30 more points than anyone on his extremely crappy team? Predraft he dragged his team into the playoffs ala Halls Hart season in New Jersey.

His skillset was elite and he was a big good skating center. He could have gone first and was discussed as possibly going 1sf OA a few times.

The Thornton comparisons were alive predraft.

His draft +1 year he was amazing on his memorial cup run. His draft +2 year many chalked up his success to a declining Hall.

I thought he was going to be a star but not best in the league so quickly or so obviously. But there were many that thought Draisaitl would be great and that he would obviously be better than Bennett. The people still saying there were no indications of greatness predraft are kidding themselves.

Edit: Bennett and Reinhart have underperformed due to their draft expectations maybe even Ekblad as well. There was a clear top 4 in a strong draft.

 

[FlameChampion]

Kinda a fun read going back. Sort of nice to underestimate a prospect for a change.

Draisaitls progression really has been amazing. Cant really think of many players like him that have improved to the same degrees as him on a yearly basis.

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

Moral of the story: never trust the ones who speak so confidently about something (or someone) they know so little about.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

His skillset was elite and he was a big good skating center. He could have gone first and was discussed as possibly going 1sf OA a few times.

He was actually considered a very poor skater and that was actually why a lot of felt Bennett would be better.

Most of us just felt skating wasn't something you could improve on, because we saw that issue plague guys like Schremp, & Gagner, etc.

The fear I had was that Draisaitl would end up as a Jiri Dopita clone, where Bennett looked like he was trending to be Toews v2.0.


Glad the draft is such an epic crap-shoot, and we were right for once.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I was right about this one and In Leons corner from the start. Been a long time already. my hair was different back then..

 

[Little Fury]

Two Hart and Art Ross winners and a single playoff appearance to show for it. This team doesn't deserve these two TBH.

 

[Oilers in NS]

OHHHHH BAAAAAAABBYYYYY

We got the biggest C in the battle of Alberta and a guy who's basically our version of Joe Thornton.

Amazing pick at the end of the day.

Im just giving ya props on your assement when we drafted Drai. U called it right. Others on here lost their minds

 

[Del Preston]

Nailed it.

 

[Aerchon]

He was actually considered a very poor skater and that was actually why a lot of felt Bennett would be better.

Most of us just felt skating wasn't something you could improve on, because we saw that issue plague guys like Schremp, & Gagner, etc.

The fear I had was that Draisaitl would end up as a Jiri Dopita clone, where Bennett looked like he was trending to be Toews v2.0.


Glad the draft is such an epic crap-shoot, and we were right for once.

This just isn't true. One of those things that fans/bad media, likely fans of Bennet, perpetuated. At the draft his skating was called elite. They broke down general skills for everyone and his was 4/5 same as Bennet.

I remember an interview with Hall or McDavid where he mocked a media guy who talked about how much Draisaitl skating improved. He flat out said Draisaitl has always been a great skater.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Two Hart and Art Ross winners and a single playoff appearance to show for it. This team doesn't deserve these two TBH.

Of coarse someone tries to takes this thread a negative direction....

 

[Canovin]

I was right about this one and In Leons corner from the start. Been a long time already. my hair was different back then..

I don't know about that. You were Replacement when we drafted Leon.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I don't know about that. You were Replacement when we drafted Leon.

I was high on this pick, and heh, pretty high on Germany at the time as it was 2014 and around WC time!

I said it would take awhile, but the German train would arrive at the station on time and fill a lot of needs.

 

[Oilers in NS]

I am a huge Sam B fan. But, deep down the Oilers have to get bigger with skill. Not gonna become the arm chair GM so many here are.
Go Oilers!!!

Best answer I seen on here. We do have too many armchair GM's. The best one was the fella guaranteeing Drai would never win a Hart or Art Ross. Oopppsie

 

[Juxta Position]

I was right about this one and In Leons corner from the start. Been a long time already. my hair was different back then..

i don't post alot on here, but around the 2014 draft time was probably when i posted the most,. I live in prince albert and watched draisaitl with the raiders for 2 1/2 years and was absolutely adament that the oilers take him if they got the chance. i hadn't seen a PA Raider that dominant on that team since Mike Modano (shows how old i am ugghhh) the raw talent he had as a 16 and 17 year old in the WHL was extremely evident. his only drawback i saw at the time was his speed moving laterally, he was still fairly fast in a straight line in junior but didn't possess the shiftiness, for lack of better a word that's needed to truely be a top notch skater in the NHL. but as we all know know his work ethic and drive to be one of the best players in the world forced him to work on that weakness and make it a strength.

i had many an argument on the main board in favor of draisaitl over bennett, and am so glad that i was right, moreso for the oilers sake than my personal pride.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

This just isn't true. One of those things that fans/bad media, likely fans of Bennet, perpetuated. At the draft his skating was called elite. They broke down general skills for everyone and his was 4/5 same as Bennet.

WRONG!!!

BOUYAAAAHHHHH SHALAKAAAAHHHHHHH

Bleacher Report:
"Draisaitl will need to improve his skating to reach his full potential, and he could also play a more physical game."

Edmonton Sun:
"A year ago, the knock on Leon Draisaitl was his apparent lack of foot speed."

Oilers Nation:
"The early knock on Draisaitl was his skating"

The Hockey Writers (Guy Flaming)
Admitted his defensive game is not great and skating

Draisaitl has the hockey sense and skill to be a premier NHL play maker, but he will need to round out his skating

HFboards:
Here's an HFBoard thread from 2017:

Corey Pronman:
Draisaitl is a great passer who can beat defenders with skill, puck protection, determination or his shot. I’ve heard some scouts suggest him as a top-3 pick, but I’d like to see him get quicker before I put him in that range.

Sportsnet Mock Draft:
His skating has been criticized, but so was John Tavares’s and he hasn’t been held back by it.

SN Top 10 Draft Rankings:
“Scouts who rank him in the top four give him top marks for hockey sense. Those who score him closer to No. 10 don’t like his skating and think his effort and impact were spotty after the world juniors.”
– GARE JOYCE

 

[Oilers 322]

i don't post alot on here, but around the 2014 draft time was probably when i posted the most,. I live in prince albert and watched draisaitl with the raiders for 2 1/2 years and was absolutely adament that the oilers take him if they got the chance. i hadn't seen a PA Raider that dominant on that team since Mike Modano (shows how old i am ugghhh) the raw talent he had as a 16 and 17 year old in the WHL was extremely evident. his only drawback i saw at the time was his speed moving laterally, he was still fairly fast in a straight line in junior but didn't possess the shiftiness, for lack of better a word that's needed to truely be a top notch skater in the NHL. but as we all know know his work ethic and drive to be one of the best players in the world forced him to work on that weakness and make it a strength.

i had many an argument on the main board in favor of draisaitl over bennett, and am so glad that i was right, moreso for the oilers sake than my personal pride.

I agree with the shiftiness comment. Drai has improved a lot but I would say his lateral skating is still one of his bigger weakness. When McDavid went down, the oilers had trouble entering the zone on the PP. Drai was tasked to skate the puck into the zone and it led to turnovers quite often. I believe the Oilers let in 2-3 short handed goals in the handful of games McDavid was out because of this.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Made up for the Schremp call, eh?

The ironic thing about my Brule vs. Kopitar comparison is that I was one of the biggest Brule fans on this board when everybody was touting Gagner as the better player so I can relate to you with the stand alone devotion to a player gone wrong.

Too bad he didn't record any success in the NHL.

 

[Juxta Position]

I agree with the shiftiness comment. Drai has improved a lot but I would say his lateral skating is still one of his bigger weakness. When McDavid went down, the oilers had trouble entering the zone on the PP. Drai was tasked to skate the puck into the zone and it led to turnovers quite often. I believe the Oilers let in 2-3 short handed goals in the handful of games McDavid was out because of this.

that is true, but i guess what i was getting at was in junior that aspect of his game was really quite poor and it has improved considerably since then.

 

[Aerchon]

WRONG!!!

BOUYAAAAHHHHH SHALAKAAAAHHHHHHH

Bleacher Report:
"Draisaitl will need to improve his skating to reach his full potential, and he could also play a more physical game."

Edmonton Sun:
"A year ago, the knock on Leon Draisaitl was his apparent lack of foot speed."

Oilers Nation:
"The early knock on Draisaitl was his skating"

The Hockey Writers (Guy Flaming)
Admitted his defensive game is not great and skating

Draisaitl has the hockey sense and skill to be a premier NHL play maker, but he will need to round out his skating

HFboards:
Here's an HFBoard thread from 2017:

Corey Pronman:
Draisaitl is a great passer who can beat defenders with skill, puck protection, determination or his shot. I’ve heard some scouts suggest him as a top-3 pick, but I’d like to see him get quicker before I put him in that range.

Sportsnet Mock Draft:
His skating has been criticized, but so was John Tavares’s and he hasn’t been held back by it.

SN Top 10 Draft Rankings:
“Scouts who rank him in the top four give him top marks for hockey sense. Those who score him closer to No. 10 don’t like his skating and think his effort and impact were spotty after the world juniors.”
– GARE JOYCE

Lol.

Just bad media...

You did bold the draft comment with no source. He was labeled an elite skater at the draft.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Lol.

Just bad media...

You did bold the draft comment with no source. He was labeled an elite skater at the draft.

Click on the comment to go to the website. The quotes are all hyperlinked.

It's incredibly well documented by literally every scout that Draisaitl had poor skating.

Button had him 6th
ISS had him 6th

Plenty of scouts and rankings had him 6th.
I can't find many that actually place him higher than 4th.

All because he had poor skating.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Click on the comment to go to the website. The quotes are all hyperlinked.

It's incredibly well documented by literally every scout that Draisaitl had poor skating.

Button had him 6th
ISS had him 6th

Plenty of scouts and rankings had him 6th.
I can't find many that actually place him higher than 4th.

All because he had poor skating.

The only thing poor was his first couple of steps.

He had a 4/5 on skating for a reason.

 

[Faelko]

This thread man.....lmao.

 

[Faelko]

Two Hart and Art Ross winners and a single playoff appearance to show for it. This team doesn't deserve these two TBH.

The team might not but us fans sure as f*** do...