Player Discussion Leon Draisaitl - 2019 All-Star

[Bryanbryoil]

He might be playing the best hockey of his young career right now.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

IMO both sides were right, he wasn't looking all that hot in preseason or to start the year in spite of being a point a game. Now that he's rolling, the sky is the limit for him.

 

[KlefDown]

Some players always start off slow and that's ok.
Wait till he gets in mid-season form. He is a killer and he will kill.

 

[nabob]

What? He was playing bad 5v5 before and he has definitely gotten much much better with this current set of linemates.

Yeah his compete level has done a complete 180 since the start of the season. Great to see.

 

[nabob]

Some players always start off slow and that's ok.
Wait till he gets in mid-season form. He is a killer and he will kill.

Where did the “he always starts off slow” come from? His first couple of years here he started out amazing, he destroyed the rookie camp and preseason. Even last season he was playing well until getting a concussion that took a few weeks for him to get his groove back, which is normal.

I think he was distracted by the Germany games, and all the fan fare/pressure on him.

 

[KlefDown]

Where did the “he always starts off slow” come from? His first couple of years here he started out amazing, he destroyed the rookie camp and preseason. Even last season he was playing well until getting a concussion that took a few weeks for him to get his groove back, which is normal.

I think he was distracted by the Germany games, and all the fan fare/pressure on him.

I never said he starts slow. Just saying that some players tend to and it's ok if they do, its not the end of the world.
Mid-season form, end-season and playoffs form is what matters.

 

[Duke74]

14 points in 12 games, 0.50 GPG.

Also as an aside, Caggiula did more in 1 game with McDavid than Yamamoto did in half the season on that line. Not even McDavid could 'elevate' him and make him produce. Then there's Lucic who has 1 goal in his last 29 games I believe and only 2 assists in the last 11 games despite playing 14-17 minutes a night roughly. If he were to keep that pace over 82 games he'd end up with 15 points on the season. Yet, somehow, Draisaitl was expected to produce with these two guys on his line.

Excellent point. Both Yamamoto and Lucic, Draisaitl's two linemates for at least the first five games of the season, spent extensive time with McDavid late last year and/or early this year. Neither player could piss a drop with McD, so how was Drai expected to carry them?

 

[PaPaDee]

Nice to see he's back at an even +/-, I think he was -6 not too long ago.

 

[Duke74]

He was carried by his linemates last night. The dish on the set up for Chiasson's goal was sublime, but I saw Drai bad for most of the game. Picked it up in the third, but was killing plays and turning the puck over a lot.

"Carried by his linemates?" Wow. That's a new one.

 

[McDeepika]

saying draisaitl could play better to start the year would have been thing. Some posters took it far beyond that though and concluded that draisaitl was a product of McDavid and not worth his contract or status on the club.

Glad he is proving them wrong like I knew he would. This is a big center with world class skills, some nastiness who has shown up in big games (playoffs, World Cup).

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

Draisaitl starting slow is sort of a regular occurrence anyway. Not sure why people thought the sky was falling. It helps that he now has functional wingers who can score.

 

[Pucklington]

He was carried by his linemates last night. The dish on the set up for Chiasson's goal was sublime, but I saw Drai bad for most of the game. Picked it up in the third, but was killing plays and turning the puck over a lot.

I think you watched a pvr'd game because I watched the same player last night, and that was definitely not the case.

 

[Little Fury]

I think you watched a pvr'd game because I watched the same player last night, and that was definitely not the case.

He had multiple giveaways, poor passes and weak plays on the other side of the puck early. He got his **** together in the end, that's what matters.

 

[Pucklington]

He was carried by his linemates last night. The dish on the set up for Chiasson's goal was sublime, but I saw Drai bad for most of the game. Picked it up in the third, but was killing plays and turning the puck over a lot.

That being said the entire team sucked in the second. I was there live, and even the coverage away from the puck was atrocious. They turned it around in the 3rd.

Draisaitl has definitely turned his season around, and they have a dangerous second line. Chaisson seems to compliment bevabec his game is straightforward, and he can retrieve the puck.

 

[Pucklington]

He had multiple giveaways, poor passes and weak plays on the other side of the puck early. He got his **** together in the end, that's what matters.

That was there entire team in the 2nd, so pointing one player when the entire team was doing it seems like a stretch.

 

[5 14 6 1]

IMO both sides were right, he wasn't looking all that hot in preseason or to start the year in spite of being a point a game. Now that he's rolling, the sky is the limit for him.

Yep, I was hard on him to start the year but no denying he has it rolling now and looks like a hell of a player. His line has been lights out with Chia's son and Rieder, high level production like this is very encouraging away from McDavid.

 

[Little Fury]

That was there entire team in the 2nd, so pointing one player when the entire team was doing it seems like a stretch.

Did I say Drai was the only one? Is this not the Draisaitl thread?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Drai has almost caught Pastrnak After at one point being a dozen pts behind and with this too eliciting criticism and grass is greener without much view on how absolutely huge it is for the player to be playing virtually every minute with Marchand and Bergeron. If Draisaitl had those two he could be 2nd to only McDavid in the scoring race. Bergeron factor alone, he's tied with McD in the scoring race. But as we know Marchand drives so much on otherwise nothing plays. If either Marchand, or Pastyrnak were playing with Rieder and Chiasson there is no doubt they would struggle.

I actually think Marchand would survive the lack of elite help much better than Pastyrnak would.

 

[nabob]

I never said he starts slow. Just saying that some players tend to and it's ok if they do, its not the end of the world.
Mid-season form, end-season and playoffs form is what matters.

Some players do tend to. Draisaitl never did before this season. The issue isn’t that he tends to be a slow starters.

Points in the standings in the first 3 games matter just as much as points in the standings in the last 3 games. You can’t afford to take the first three weeks of the season off and think it doesn’t matter.

 

[nabob]

Did I say Drai was the only one? Is this not the Draisaitl thread?

If you’re going to criticize Draisaitl in the Draisaitl thread you must criticize four other players at minimum. His linemates must be included, as they are always at fault. You may also include Benning because he just always sucks as well.

 

[780il]

Oh he's rolling now!

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Drai has almost caught Pastrnak After at one point being a dozen pts behind and with this too eliciting criticism and grass is greener without much view on how absolutely huge it is for the player to be playing virtually every minute with Marchand and Bergeron. If Draisaitl had those two he could be 2nd to only McDavid in the scoring race. Bergeron factor alone, he's tied with McD in the scoring race. But as we know Marchand drives so much on otherwise nothing plays. If either Marchand, or Pastyrnak were playing with Rieder and Chiasson there is no doubt they would struggle.

I actually think Marchand would survive the lack of elite help much better than Pastyrnak would.

IMO you actually undersold Drai's abilities earlier in the season trying to deflect criticism from him (60 points). What we are seeing now is the Drai that got Chia to pony up to have him locked and loaded for 8 seasons. Like I said earlier I see him in the next tier below the Matthews and Eichel's of the world and he is playing like he belongs in that tier right now. It looks like all 3 of our big dogs have elevated their games this season and so have Klefbom and Larsson. If we can get the special teams fixed and solid goaltending we are a team to be reckoned with.

 

[Pucklington]

Did I say Drai was the only one? Is this not the Draisaitl thread?

No but you picked a segment where the team played poorly to support your argument. In a team sport it is difficult to stand out if the entire team is not going.

Draisaitl start was disappointing, but he has played extremely well the last number of games.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

No but you picked a segment where the team played poorly to support your argument. In a team sport it is difficult to stand out if the entire team is not going.

Draisaitl start was disappointing, but he has played extremely well the last number of games.

What's it been? 5 or 6 games in a row that he's been going good now? He's been a beast lately.

 

[Little Fury]

No but you picked a segment where the team played poorly to support your argument. In a team sport it is difficult to stand out if the entire team is not going.

So if anyone wants to talk about his good plays, they shouldn't because the whole team was playing well too. Really unfair to single out one guy in that case.