Leon Draisaitl the most underrated player in the NHL?

Status
Not open for further replies.

GOilers88

Fer Da
Dec 24, 2016
14,173
20,681
Look here, read this: Leon Draisaitl is a terrific Winger but I am far from convinced he's a #1 Centre. That's my main point. It's simple and I'm trying to be succinct. You want me to expound? or just hold my tongue and let an LD is great love-in to ensue? if that's what you want just keep that on the Oilers' boards.

I think a top end C, like some have claimed LD to be, should be able to make something happen on his own damned line. Right now you have McDavid and Leon crushing it together for what? 35% of a game? But what happens during the other 65%? Edmonton gets demolished. I believe McDavid is a beast and can with even middling Wingers be over a ppg and for the Oilers to be successful needs Leon to take some crappy wingers and eke out a 55-60pts until management can get them better. Until then Edmonton keeps losing and McD and LD devolve into a one-trick pony.
That's great that you're far from convinced. You're very clearly wrong. You choose to ignore all logic and critical thought and keep saying the same dumb shit despite pages of numerous people telling and showing you that you're wrong.

Thats cool though. You do you.
 

EdmFlyersfan

Registered User
Feb 20, 2007
4,548
2,734
Edmonton
I think you are the one who is ignoring the logic and critical thinking; and blinded by raw stats without looking into them deeper and seeing the correlation from the actual causation of them.

That's great that you're far from convinced. You're very clearly wrong. You choose to ignore all logic and critical thought and keep saying the same dumb **** despite pages of numerous people telling and showing you that you're wrong.

Thats cool though. You do you.
 

GOilers88

Fer Da
Dec 24, 2016
14,173
20,681
Look I hears ya, it's no great shakes but he has to make something happen regardless. Kotkaniemi as a rookie with not really better Wingers and with practically zero pp time is on track for like 40pts. Draisaitl's gotta be able to get at least 50-55 pts even playing with garbage Wingers for Edmonton to be successful and for his own development as a bonafide C.

What I mean is he's a terrific Winger but not an Elite Play Driving Winger i.e. someone like a Kane, a Radulov or a Kessel. Those guys run their lines, they make their C's look good. Draisaitl plays second fiddle to McDavid on that line and does next to jack all on his own line.

That's what I mean.
You'll probably just choose to ignore this again, but I'll post it one last time. Evgeni Malkin, one of the best three players of the last 15 years, put up 60 points centering a second line with Phil Kessell or Patric Hornqvist on his wings on one of the best teams in the league. Leon Draisaitl has put up 40-50 centering Milan Lucic and Toby Reider/Jesse Puljujarvi the last couple of years.

Malkin rounded out 38 more on the power player with Crosby, Letang, Kessell, Hornqvist, Sheath, Guentzel, or any of the other far more talented players they have to finish with .

Drai has rounded out another 20-30 split between time with McDavid, Nuge, Lucic and Klefbom on the PP, and with McDavid on the top line because nobody else on the team can score. He finished with 70 on one of the worst teams in the league.

This tells me a couple of things. Firstly it tells me that Leon Draisaitl is definitely not Evgeni Malkin. No shit. This also tells me that it's quite fair to assume that if Draisaitl had the same quality of wingers around as Malkin does, he would add another 10-15 points putting him close to Malkins production.

You then go on to list some of the best wingers in the game as his comparables stating that they all make their respective lines work. Interestingly enough you list Kessell in there,who as we covered above has Evgeni Malkin as his center. You are in essence, simultaneously saying that in order for Draisaitl to be a 1C he has to be able to drive his own line to elite production like Malkin even though you say Phil Kessell is the primary reason for the line being driven.

I'm so confused as to what your actual point is, and I have to chalk it up to you simply being a troll.

Edit: I also like how no one mentions how Chiasson has played a lot of time with Drai, and is having the best offensive seaosn of his career. He certainly fits a lot better with Drai than McDavid.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 780il

EdmFlyersfan

Registered User
Feb 20, 2007
4,548
2,734
Edmonton
They tried multiple times, he can't produce what they need without Connor with him...hence he is glued to him to make the contract look palatable and the organization not inept.

The Oilers don't exactly have great C depth. McDavid doesn't need LD to produce, why doesn't the Oilers coaching staff let LD on his own line then. This season will show if LD can actually produce on his own for a season.
 

viceroy

Registered User
Mar 5, 2011
1,725
766
Montreal suburbs
Please tell me who you think are #1 centers in the league?

I am not going to come out with some list that turns into some pissing match between fandoms. But at the very least a #1 Centre should be able to carry his own line to decent numbers no matter it's composition. The Habs have this young Centre by the name of Jesperi Kotkaniemi(sp?), his Wingers aren't really any better than what Draisaitl gets when they bother to make him play C. The kid in his rookie season is tracking at around 40pts with next to no pp time. Draisaitl should at this stage be able to get 50-55 pts for his line. That would help the Oilers immeasurably to have a second line that's a threat and would help Leon in his evolution into one day maybe becoming a #1b Centre.

You choose to ignore all logic and critical thought and keep saying the same dumb **** despite pages of numerous people telling and showing you that you're wrong.

Facts friend, facts. Draisaitl plays with McDavid, a lot. Most of his pts are with McDavid on the ice with him. Heck I just saw today that on like 58% of his faceoffs McDavid is there. SMH

Draisaitl plays mostly as a winger. McDavid is on the ice on most of LD's pts. Leon can't get his own line working with his at best middling Wingers. #29 isn't the main force and is thus not a Play Driving Winger when he's on with McD.

Right the f*** now Leon Draisaitl is a terrific scoring Winger and a middling #2 Centre and if they keep using him this way and not challenging the young man that's all he'll end up being. Another great Oilers prospect whose development was stunted.

Stop finding excuses for him. You're paying him top money? Get him to be McDavid's Malkin. Make him work for his lucre.
 

GOilers88

Fer Da
Dec 24, 2016
14,173
20,681
I am not going to come out with some list that turns into some pissing match between fandoms. But at the very least a #1 Centre should be able to carry his own line to decent numbers no matter it's composition. The Habs have this young Centre by the name of Jesperi Kotkaniemi(sp?), his Wingers aren't really any better than what Draisaitl gets when they bother to make him play C. The kid in his rookie season is tracking at around 40pts with next to no pp time. Draisaitl should at this stage be able to get 50-55 pts for his line. That would help the Oilers immeasurably to have a second line that's a threat and would help Leon in his evolution into one day maybe becoming a #1b Centre.



Facts friend, facts. Draisaitl plays with McDavid, a lot. Most of his pts are with McDavid on the ice with him. Heck I just saw today that on like 58% of his faceoffs McDavid is there. SMH

Draisaitl plays mostly as a winger. McDavid is on the ice on most of LD's pts. Leon can't get his own line working with his at best middling Wingers. #29 isn't the main force and is thus not a Play Driving Winger when he's on with McD.

Right the **** now Leon Draisaitl is a terrific scoring Winger and a middling #2 Centre and if they keep using him this way and not challenging the young man that's all he'll end up being. Another great Oilers prospect whose development was stunted.

Stop finding excuses for him. You're paying him top money? Get him to be McDavid's Malkin. Make him work for his lucre.
You ignored everything again. I might as well do the same.
 

Kamus

Registered User
Oct 21, 2005
1,223
843
I am not going to come out with some list that turns into some pissing match between fandoms. But at the very least a #1 Centre should be able to carry his own line to decent numbers no matter it's composition. The Habs have this young Centre by the name of Jesperi Kotkaniemi(sp?), his Wingers aren't really any better than what Draisaitl gets when they bother to make him play C. The kid in his rookie season is tracking at around 40pts with next to no pp time. Draisaitl should at this stage be able to get 50-55 pts for his line. That would help the Oilers immeasurably to have a second line that's a threat and would help Leon in his evolution into one day maybe becoming a #1b Centre.



Facts friend, facts. Draisaitl plays with McDavid, a lot. Most of his pts are with McDavid on the ice with him. Heck I just saw today that on like 58% of his faceoffs McDavid is there. SMH

Draisaitl plays mostly as a winger. McDavid is on the ice on most of LD's pts. Leon can't get his own line working with his at best middling Wingers. #29 isn't the main force and is thus not a Play Driving Winger when he's on with McD.

Right the **** now Leon Draisaitl is a terrific scoring Winger and a middling #2 Centre and if they keep using him this way and not challenging the young man that's all he'll end up being. Another great Oilers prospect whose development was stunted.

Stop finding excuses for him. You're paying him top money? Get him to be McDavid's Malkin. Make him work for his lucre.
So you want to see drai center his own line without mcdavid and score 50 points. This would convince you?

I know you dont want to write a list as it would disprove your point
 

yababy

Registered User
Jun 26, 2015
3,441
828
Considering he had a 2.79 P/60 overall, and 2.01 puts him around guys like Zach Parise, Kevin Hayes and Max Domi? That's not good...

What first liners are you taking away from Parise, Hayes and Domi before you compare that stat? Fair is fair
 

The Drop

Rain Drop, Drop Top
Jul 12, 2015
14,873
4,060
Vancouver
If the oilers lost the draft lottery and ended up with anyone else besides McDavid, Draisaitl would prob top out at 60pts.

He couldn’t even stay in the league in his rookie season
 

Del Preston

Registered User
Mar 8, 2013
63,171
78,954
Ok the last part was nonsense but McDavid creates room.

It’s no different than Horvat having a breakout year once teams started focusing on Pettersson.

And I’m not saying Bo is as good as Draisaitl
Draisaitl already put up 51 points as a 20-year-old centre in 2015-16 (in 72 games). He played three minutes at 5-on-5 with McDavid that year.
 
Last edited:

The Drop

Rain Drop, Drop Top
Jul 12, 2015
14,873
4,060
Vancouver
Draisaitl already put up 51 points as a 20-year-old centre in 2015-16. He played three minutes at 5-on-5 with McDavid that year.
Yes that was the year McDavid was out which makes sense as to why he played so little with him.

51 points is impressive but we aren’t going to agree on this.
 

Del Preston

Registered User
Mar 8, 2013
63,171
78,954
Yes that was the year McDavid was out which makes sense as to why he played so little with him.

51 points is impressive but we aren’t going to agree on this.
He played so little with him because the wingers were actually good and they could each play centre.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Hellraising Senator

unicornpig

Registered User
Dec 8, 2017
3,639
5,306
Ld is a good player but most underrated? Guess with the oilers being bad as usual Oiler fans need something else to talk about to deflect from their terrible season
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lilou

Juxtaposer

Outro: Divina Comedia
Dec 21, 2009
47,387
15,720
Bay Area
No chance. He’s very good offensively but there are few players less defensively engaged that I’ve seen.
 

48g90a138pts

Registered User
Jun 30, 2016
10,380
5,692
16th highest cap hit in the league
19th in total salary paid this year.
And he'll be falling down that list in the years to come. Very far from being overpaid.

7th overall in points and 4th in goals

To everyone who says he's overpaid
:neener:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mbraunm

TheDawnOfANewTage

Dahlin, it’ll all be fine
Dec 17, 2018
12,023
17,505
I don't get it. From my outsiders perspective I just don't see enough of him away from McD to make a fair judgement. That said, supporters here have posted some solid numbers for those smaller sample sizes.

I'd just wait and see- like, I'd worry about fixing the rest of the team before I'd worry about the label on Drai. I get that it's frustrating to hear him get downgraded because of McD, especially when you have evidence pointing to him being great, but.. like, why focus on people's perception of him when the larger concern is the shit team around him? Fix that to the point where he can center his own line and then you won't have to make this argument. Otherwise haters will keep hating, you'll keep using small sample sizes to make an admittedly decent point.. and the Oilers will keep missing the playoffs. Who gives a f*** if he's overrated or under, I'd care more about playoffs, a much more tangible and useful concern.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 780il
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->