Leon Draisaitl’s case for Hart Trophy

On By Littum

Players who sign enormous contracts can often feel the pressure that comes with it. Fortunately for Edmonton Oilers fans, Leon Draisaitl is no ordinary player. After inking a new eight-year contract with a hit of $ 14m this summer, Draisaitl has returned with the best regular season of his career. Already at the pace of being one of the great individual playoff artists of all time, Draisaitl is no stranger to acting under pressure.

When he runs away in the Rocket Richard Trophy goal scoring race, Draisaitl even gets some regard for Selke Trophy this season. For more distant observers, these defensive results are a reversing of reputation. Together it all points towards a bigger conclusion: Leon Draisaitl should be the favorite of Hart Trophy.

Defensive turn

A look at the player card above shows the Archer of Draisaitl before this season. Obviously, the defensive effects are underway, but it has never prevented Draisaitl from being among the league’s best players during that time and even catching a Hart Trophy in the truncated season 2019–20. Many of the fans who mock the idea of ​​draisaitl as a legitimate Selke Trophy candidate do it based on this reputation.

However, this season there is a clear uptick in such measurements. Draisaitl gets a balance between offsets starting in the defensive zone, squeezed between centers Connor McDavidthat gets most of the offensive zone starts, and Adam Henriquethat gets more of the defensive work. Below using evolution hockey’s statistics grades draisaitl even more favorably.

Statistics like these are the reason why Draisaitl earns some Selke Trophy consideration. Unfortunately, the likelihood of him winning the award or even being named a finalist is quite low. For many voters, the fact that Draisaitl is not playing on criminal murder will be an obstacle. Even more, Selke Trophy is a prize based on reputation as much as statistics. It often takes years to build a profile that is strong enough to win over the different ideologies that make up voters at this award, and Draisaitl is unlikely to surpass many of the more conventional choices within this season.

Even without a Selke nomination, Draisaitl’s improved performance still can’t be completely overlooked. It is true that draisaitl has not always had linemates or use conducive to strong defensive statistics. Draisaitl is dependent on the offense and for the sake of the team that must be his priority. Last season was draisaitl often on a line with Evander Kanethat does not control the flow of play. At times he even was paired with Warren Foegele and Ryan McLEODwho often had success in this area. This season, Viktor Arvidsson and Vasily Podkolzin Seems to be the best of both worlds that provide support on both sides of the puck.

In the end, it is Draisaitl himself who is most responsible for this turn. He has strength, skill and determination to win puck matches. It will be an incredible development for Oilers if he can continue these results through most of his contract.

Legacy draisaitl created so far

Given that Draisaitl has already won Hart Trophy without a strong defensive influence, it should not surprise that this tremendous improvement vaults him into the conversation again. Draisaitl’s MVP came at a weird time in the world and a season became short. While no one goes in for a star next to this MVP, another Hart -trophy would undoubtedly change the way Draisaitl was perceived around the league and through the context of history.

For starters, Draisaitl may possibly distinguish him on League Wide Hierarchy of Players. In recent years, more and more fans have spotted the idea that Draisaitl is the conversation for the league’s best player behind McDavid. It can also change shake some of Evgeni Malkin Comparisons. One of the best players of all time, Malkin shares with draisaitl the fact that they are often seen as the second best player on their team.

While these individual results are remarkable, they may only serve to increase the pressure on Oilers as a team. Many will describe the Oilers -deficiency winner of a Stanley Cup with McDavid a failure, and draisaitl further differs only this tale. It’s a pretty tough tale, but someone who continues to weigh on Oilers and their superstars until it changes.

The progress that Oilers have made over the years should not be overlooked, nor their place among the league’s best team is taken for granted. For many years earlier, a big conversation surrounded whether Oilers should split McDavid and Draisaitl on separate lines, as the team did not have enough depth or quality to stepping water without them on the ice. Now with the three gaming suspensions to McDavid, Draisaitl will have the chance to intensify once again and prove that his believers are correct.

Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire