Oilers' centers ranked among league's very best players
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
The NHL Network released its ranking of the league's top-20 centers on Wednesday, which to nobody's surprise, includes Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The Oilers' two generational players, and its two central, franchise pieces, continue to garner the positive attention they both deserve, and which they have earned.
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-current-players-ranked-top-20-centers-2025
Edmonton Oilers' best players' careers marked with record-breaking campaigns and award-winning honors
Coming in at number 3, behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, Leon was drafted 3rd overall by Edmonton in the 2014 draft class, and is the 1st player in NHL history to score four overtime goals in the same post-season.
To list Draisaitl's accomplishments for an Edmonton fan base seems redundant, given how often his achievements are written about. Yet, it bares repeating, so impressive are Leon's stats.
Since 2018-19, Leon is 2nd in the NHL in points (748), behind only Connor McDavid (826), and is 2nd in goals (324), behind Auston Matthews (327).
Even Draisaitl's junior career was marked with success, when he led Kelowna of the WHL to a Memorial Cup in 2015, and also won playoff MVP. Then, in his first professional season with Bakersfield, he only managed to play six AHL games, as he was quickly called-up by the Oilers, going-on to score 19G and 32A, in 71 games. The rest, as they say, is history.
Connor McDavid was rated number 1 in the top-20 centers ranking, precisely where he should be, at the top of any list the NHL should compile - he's that good.
Connor has led the league in scoring this past decade, with 1082 points, and his 74 assists led Edmonton last season, as did his 26 playoff assists. Over his career, he has recorded 361G and 721A, for 1082 points in 712 games played.
McDavid has recorded 100-plus points 8 times over his 10-year career. He came into the NHL under incredible hype, and exceeded all expectations. Connor was the 6th-fastest NHL player to reach 600 points on November 14, 2021, and is one of only 5 NHL players to ever record 100 assist in a season.
Number 2 in the ranking was Nathan MacKinnon; number 4 Alexander Barkov; and number 5 Sydney Crosby.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 21|187 ANSWERS Oilers' centers ranked among league's very best players Do you agree with Leon Draisaitl bein ranked the 3rd-best center in the NHL? | ||
| should be 2nd-best | 122 | 65.2 % |
| should not be included in the top-5 best | 15 | 8 % |
| 2nd-best is accurate | 50 | 26.7 % |
| List of polls | ||