Player Discussion Leon Draisaitl - 2019 All-Star

[MessierII]

Oh, I know.

I'll eat **** for that for the rest of my life.

I’ll never forget that because I was a big team Draisaitl guy and we had some good debates and when I saw that post on the flames board I thought “god damn I hope I can quote him on that one in a couple years”

 

[ohheyhemsky]

I’ll never forget that because I was a big team Draisaitl guy and we had some good debates and when I saw that post on the flames board I thought “god damn I hope I can quote him on that one in a couple years”

I'll be the first to admit, I'm glad as shit you were right.

 

[guymez]

Does Leon get 50?

 

[McJazz]

Does Leon get 50?

50/50 to me. If we lose a couple of games and playoff hopes are completely gone I think a big focus for the team will be to help him reach 50. 9 goals in 16 games is very doable.

 

[guymez]

50/50 to me. If we lose a couple of games and playoff hopes are completely gone I think a big focus for the team will be to help him reach 50. 9 goals in 16 games is very doable.

It really is doable. I hope he gets there...it would be a great story.

 

[jt91ko21]

Draisaitl could win some trophys and could get some honors that year.
Maurice is possible and i think First or Second All Star is for sure. Second i think.

 

[DerpMorg]

I’ll never forget that because I was a big team Draisaitl guy and we had some good debates and when I saw that post on the flames board I thought “god damn I hope I can quote him on that one in a couple years”

Read the first couple pages in that thread. It’s kind of funny who they thought would be on their roster long term and who actually made it.

 

[Panda Bear]

To be fair, our second line of Hamilton-Martindale-Pitlick is killing it in the NHL. Let's not forget our second pairing of Marincin-Gernat either.

 

[alphahelix]

Marincin had a point the other night, and Pitlick is decent in Dallas, would be an upgrade on a few guys here. Theres failed oilers all over the league

 

[ImmuneEH]

Marincin had a point the other night, and Pitlick is decent in Dallas, would be an upgrade on a few guys here. Theres failed oilers all over the league

I really miss Pitlick. Loved his style of play.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Draisaitl is such a beast. I remember having arguments his draft year about whether his slow the game down style would translate. Not only did it translate, he added half a dozen other elements.

He’s an absolutely elite player in his own right. We’re seeing the “Malkin to McDavid’s Crosby” stuff come totally to fruition.

 

[ujju2]

Interesting, but not unexpected, that there is still a bunch of main board idiots who think Drai is a leech off McDavid.

People love to use the stat of how many points Drai has away from McDavid as proof that he's a leech.

Draisaitl without McDavid on the ice this season.... 16 points

McDavid without Draisaitl on the ice his season..... *drum roll*.... 16 points

Almost like they both benefit from playing together.

All these stats tell us is that these two players are on an island by themselves this season with RNH having an honorable mention as a player on a dingy off shore and no one else even within sight.

I'd say Nuge is also on the actual island (look at his production relative to his linemates) but yeah. Drai has more than carried his weight on whatever line he's been on. I'll admit I was skeptical of his ability to produce on his own at the beginning of the season, but I'll gladly say I was wrong.

 

[kovnik]

He improves his play all the time, this dude came a long way. I remember taking this one in 2014 in Kamloops when he still played with the Rockets. He also scored the GWG, it was great.

 

[Mr Positive]

Draisaitl is such a beast. I remember having arguments his draft year about whether his slow the game down style would translate. Not only did it translate, he added half a dozen other elements.

He’s an absolutely elite player in his own right. We’re seeing the “Malkin to McDavid’s Crosby” stuff come totally to fruition.

except for the part where we are winning cups lol. But patience I guess. It will come

 

[space321]

Praise MacT and the OBC for taking Draisaitl instead of Bennett.

Drai is more than tripling Bennett's production lmao. I love it when flames fans try to make Bennett sound more than what he is: a bottom 6 grinder.

 

[Oilers 322]

He is currently playing with a lot of confidence. One thing I noticed from Drai lately is that he is attacking the zone with speed and great hands. His goal against Toronto is a perfect example of this. Early on in the season, he was always looking to pass. Even when there were no passing lane available, he would try to force the puck through multiple sticks, which often led to an unforced turnover. I think he is starting to realize that he is not only good at passing, but also skating, dangling, and shooting.

Drai has also shown a high level of hockey intelligence; his ability to read the play and intercept a pass has recently led to goals against Columbus and Nashville.

 

[Blue Line Turnover]

I've ragged on Draisaitl repeatedly this season, but it's only because I'm a huge fan of his and know what he's capable of when he's on his game. It's the same reason why I used to point out and magnify Larsson's blunders.

 

[Tw0Shoes]

Bennett is leading his draft class in PIMS though. v. gritty.

 

[NinjaKick]

Leon has blown me away this season, he's proved that he can be a gamebreaker all by himself. It shouldn't be hard to turn this team around when you have two gamebreakers.

if anyone on the main board talks shit about Leon... they automatically lose all credit

 

[FlameChampion]

The guy is such a beast. When hes on, hes so hard to stop.

I think its partially why hes such a polarizing player. So many people are hard on him because they know what hes capable of, when hes struggling or not giving it a 100% effort.

 

[McJadeddog]

Does Leon get 50?

9 goals in 16 games (assuming he plays them all) is 0.56 G/GP. He has averaged 0.62 G/GP so far this season, so it's certainly possible. My guess is that he barely misses it, but who knows. If he gets a 2 or 3 goal game soon here, that will go an awful long way to getting him to 50. It sure would be cool if he makes it, as that would mean he very likely gets to 100 points as well. It's been a horrific season, and it would be at least something to cheer for the rest of the way. I've actually found myself cheering more for Drai-points than McPoints lately, as McDavid is out of the Art Ross running.

 

[McJadeddog]

Draisaitl could win some trophys and could get some honors that year.
Maurice is possible and i think First or Second All Star is for sure. Second i think.

I'd be pretty surprised if Drai makes 2nd team all-star. My guess is 3rd or 4th team. McDavid is very likely 1st team. Then Crosby is likely 2nd I would guess. After that it's between MacKinnon/Drai/Point/Stamkos/Tavarres/etc for the rest

 

[bucks_oil]

The guy is such a beast. When hes on, hes so hard to stop.

I think its partially why hes such a polarizing player. So many people are hard on him because they know what hes capable of, when hes struggling or not giving it a 100% effort.

I completely agree. What I see in Drai is a guy who occasionally stands in his own way... get's frustrated. He's very hard on himself and (unlike some) it can affect his game negatively. But it's tough to criticize, because that same perfectionism is what makes him so good.

Kid (I mean it... still a kid) has potential to mature into one of the top 5 players in the game.

 

[Fourier]

I am not sure I get the desire to have Leon center his own line at all costs. I know he can do it but he is absolutely magic with McDavid and the two together is a weapon that you just don't want to give up. When they are on the ice together the team scores at a rate of over 4 goals per 60 minutes 5 vs 5. The only comparable numbers in the NHL are with the top lines in Pittsburgh, Toronto and TB. And the Oilers duo does it with almost no other significant support.

Find two good wingers to go with Nuge who had actually generated points at a level not so much less than Leon when their own lines and improve the puck moving from the back end and the offense should give you a fighting chance to win the vast majority of games. In the end all the second line has to do is break even. Splitting up Leon and McDavid and you still need to find those wingers. But evidence so far suggests that the net impact could well be less than with the two together.

 

[Paralyzer]

Praise MacT and the OBC for taking Draisaitl instead of Bennett.

Drai is more than tripling Bennett's production lmao. I love it when flames fans try to make Bennett sound more than what he is: a bottom 6 grinder.

IF that.