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Oilers' Leon Draisaitl ridiculously snubbed by TSN in new rankings
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
Leon Draisaitl is having a Hart-Trophy calibre season this year, but fans and media outside of Edmonton are still sleeping on the Oilers superstar - with TSN not even naming him as an MVP candidate.
Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes is beginning to nudge out Draisaitl, but the Oilers centreman could still be the favourite for Hart Trophy.
TSN Snubs Leon Draisaitl in Hart Trophy Rankings This Season
TSN's Bardown social media page recently ranked their top 5 Hart trophy candidates so far this year, and Draisaitl was left off the list entirely.
Connor McDavid did appear 4th on the list, but even most Oilers fans this year would say Draisaitl has been the team's most valuable player.
While Nathan Mackinnon, Kirill Kaprizov, are incredibly valuable to their team's success, not other player is dominating on both sides of the ice like Draisaitl is this year.
Leon Draisaitl's Case for MVP This Season
Leon Draisaitl currently has 31 goals and 63 points, an incredible offensive pace especially considering his low-scoring linemates at even strength.
Oilers analyst NHL Sid also recently broke down the advancements in Draisaitl's defence this year, which adds to his case for league MVP.
»This season, Draisaitl has been on-ice for a mere 1.77 goals against per hour at 5-on-5. That is nearly half of what it was two seasons ago. For reference, Aleksander Barkov - the reigning Selke Trophy winner - has been on-ice for 1.9 goals against per 60 this season.
- NHL Sid
- NHL Sid
Oilers coach Knoblauch recently got candid about Draisaitl's success this year, pointing at the injury to Connor McDavid in Columbus as a potential turning point for his MVP calibre season.
»"He's been at another level. It really started going back to that Columbus game, or shortly after that, where McDavid was hurt. He stepped up with McDavid's absence and he really hasn't looked back, he's put together a nice string of games."
- Coach Knoblauch
- Coach Knoblauch
After signing the biggest contract in NHL history last offseason, Draisaitl is stepping up to prove that he's worth every penny of his salary - and even though he plays with the best player in the world, Draisaitl is no second fiddle.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 13 | 279 ANSWERS Oilers' Leon Draisaitl ridiculously snubbed by TSN in new rankings Do you think Leon Draisaitl will win the Hart Trophy this season? | ||
| Yes, he's MVP | 240 | 86 % |
| No, someone else | 39 | 14 % |
| List of polls | ||
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