The entire post-game interview lasted a brisk 1:16. Draisaitl may have given a more "pissy" response in the past. This was notably calm and collected despite his obvious disappointment in the game's end results. This is a statement of Draisaitl's growth and maturity. He doesn't get too high when they win, and he doesn't get too low when they lose.
Draisaitl is expected to be a core piece for the Oilers for the foreseeable future. He signed an eight-year, $112 million contract ($14 million average annual value) starting next season and is currently in the final season of an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) signed prior to the 2017-2018 season.
Quinn Hughes scored two power-play goals and the struggling Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Danton Heinen also scored and J.T.
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.
Here are the report cards for the first half Oilers in 2024-25.
The Edmonton Oilers are second in the Pacific Division, and they have Leon Draisaitl to thank for that. While their 27-13-3 record through 43 games was largely expected, how they got there has been somewhat surprising.
The Edmonton Oilers simply didn’t have it in this one, as they lost to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night (Jan. 18) by a score of 3-2. The theme of the past few games was falling behind early and battling back.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Stuart Skinner made 24 saves for the Oilers (29-14-3), who lost for the first time in five games and second in the past 10 (8-2-0).
With McDavid out with an injury in early November and the Oilers already struggling for traction, Draisaitl put up back-to-back three-point nights, factoring in on six of Edmonton’s nine goals in 5-1 and 4-2 wins over Nashville and Calgary.
Edmonton Oilers tempted fate once too often on Saturday, and this time they paid for it. They dug yet another deep first-period hole against a spirited Vancouver Canucks squad, allowing all 3 goals in 3½ minutes late in the first period including a pair of powerplay tallies by first star Quinn Hughes.
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