In 14 playoff games, the forward has scored 25 points for Edmonton.
EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl topped Stu MacGregor’s wish list for the Edmonton Oilers with the third pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, but the Oilers needed to wait to see if the Buffalo Sabres decided not to select him at No. 2.
Having watched Draisaitl closely during his junior years with Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League, MacGregor, who was the Oilers’ director of scouting at the time, along with general manager Craig MacTavish, decided the native of Cologne, Germany was the most talented forward available that year.
“‘Mac’ wanted a forward for us; we wanted to get a good forward that year; we had taken (defenseman) Darnell Nurse the year before in the first round,” MacGregor remarked. “He was just a large, strong man with excellent hands who could hold, handle, and control the puck.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player receive pucks and make plays with such skill on his backhand as he did. He performed incredible feats with the puck in his backhand.
Draisaitl had 105 points (38 goals, 67 assists) in 64 games for Prince Albert in his 2013-2014 draft season. Draisaitl scored 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 64 games for Prince Albert the prior season as a 17-year-old.
“His shot was good, but I think he’s really developed since his draft year,” MacGregor said. He performed admirably, but as he rose through the junior ranks, he was more of a set-up man in my opinion. We wanted a forward and it was between him or Sam Reinhart. We had Leon ranked ahead of Reinhart, but we were picking No. 3 and needed to find out Buffalo’s plan of action.”
Reinhart, who is currently with the Florida Panthers and is a major factor in their 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff push, was selected by Buffalo.
Draisaitl, however, reached another level. In 719 regular-season games, he has more points than any other player selected in the 2014 draft with 850 (347 goals, 503 assists), ahead of Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak who was selected No. 25 and has 727 points (348 goals, 379 assists) in 674 games.
“I had the typical pre-draft talks with him (MacGregor) a few times,” Draisaitl remarked. I had a lot of chats with him and felt I was quite high on their list. As time went on, things became more serious and it was evident they liked me as a player.
Draisaitl has scored at least 50 goals three times with the Oilers and has five seasons with 100 points or more. With 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games, he earned the Art Ross Trophy as the League’s top scorer in 2020. He also took home the Ted Lindsay Award, which was given to the most outstanding player by his peers, and the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player.
This season, Draisaitl had 106 points (41 goals, 65 assists) in 81 games and has 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 14 playoff games. In a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final on Saturday, he halted his 13-game point run that he had started the playoffs with. Game 3 of the best-of-7 series is at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, CBC, TVAS, SN, and MAX).
MacGregor remarked, “I think what he’s doing is awesome and it makes you feel proud you made that selection.” “This is not the first year that you see a guy who is playing at the highest level in the hardest league and under trying circumstances. This is a continuous issue; he elevates it throughout the playoffs, and it is truly uplifting to witness; that day, we performed admirably.
For the second time in the last three seasons, Draisaitl has assisted Edmonton in reaching the Western Conference Final and winning a game there for the first time since 2006. On Thursday, he scored in Game 1 of the Stars’ series, which ended in overtime 3-2.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Oilers stated, “You’ve seen him grow in a lot of ways throughout the years.” “During the playoffs, he pretty much does everything.” We are aware of his outstanding scoring ability, ranking among the best in the league, and that when it comes to the postseason, he is also one of the most astute defensive players. He’s got a fantastic stick, he’s hard on the puck, and he knows where to be. He’s a big body and he’s hard to beat. He raises it to another level and obviously, that’s huge for our team.”
When it matters most, Draisaitl seems to play his best hockey. With 40 goals and 62 assists in 62 playoff games, he has 102 points overall. He became the third-fastest player in history to earn 100 postseason points in 60 games. Draisaitl has arrived at this point more quickly than Wayne Gretzky (46 games) and Mario Lemieux (50).
Working with both the WHL’s Moose Jaw and the Swiss League’s Lugano, MacGregor is enjoying the playoff run that Draisaitl and Edmonton are making from his British Columbian home. In the Western Conference First Round, Edmonton defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games and the Los Angeles Kings in five. in the second round.
They had to learn a lot as a team during the difficult Vancouver series, and MacGregor stated, “I think they really learned a lot in that series. They are starting to believe in each other and do whatever is required to win.” “I’m overjoyed for people like Nugent-Hopkins, Leon, and Darnell. Craig MacTavish and I both value those individuals greatly; they played a significant role in my development as a scout, and I’m happy to see them step up their game to another level.”
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