Two major turning points in Leon Draisaitl's MVP level season
Photo credit: Sergei Belski - Imagn Images
Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl is leading the Hart Trophy race in the NHL this season, the award for most valuable player, and there's been two major turning points that kickstarted his incredible year.
Coach Knoblauch has already hinted at one running point for Draisaitl's incredible season, and once again in today's media availability, he identified it as a major point.
Leon Draisaitl had two events kickstart incredible MVP level season
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was asked today about Draisaitl's incredible season, and once again noted the Connor McDavid injury in Columbus as the time that Draisaitl picked up his game, and never looked back.
He has been outstanding all year. He really took his game to another level when McDavid got an injury early in the year, in the Columbus game and he was out for 3 or 4 games. Obviously you need your best players to step up, but you're never going to replace McDavid. He did an extremely good job and never looked back.
- Coach Knoblauch
- Coach Knoblauch
Currently, Draisaitl is second in the NHL with 95 points, just 5 behind Nathan MacKinnon for the lead. Draisaitl has an incredible 46 goals in 63 games, 9 more than his closest competition.
There was another turning point for Draisaitl early in the season as well. In the first homestand of the year against the Philadelphia Flyers, Draisaitl was benched for a poor penalty, and came back to score the game winner in overtime, beginning an early hot streak.
Not only is Draisaitl having an MVP caliber year by every metric and the raw scoring totals, he's doing it with wingers who are severely underperforming at 5v5. Draisaitl is elevating the players around him significantly.
With these numbers and the situation of the Oilers this season - especially with McDavid in a down season - Draisaitl should be the far and away favourite for the Hart Trophy.
| POLL | ||
MARS 11 | 733 ANSWERS Two major turning points in Leon Draisaitl's MVP level season Do you think Leon Draisaitl will win league MVP this season? | ||
| Yes | 578 | 78.9 % |
| No | 155 | 21.1 % |
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