Leon Draisaitl Being Considered Favourite For Surprising NHL Award

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Ryan Hall
November 13, 2024 (10:56)

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A surprising story has been brewing around the Oilers early on in this season which is the defensive game of Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl.

Known for his scoring touch, Draisaitl appears to have worked on his defensive game and decided to become a more rounded player which is now put him in the early discussions for the Selke Trophy. While many would have laughed at this idea only a few years ago, it's become clear with the numbers shown that he is improving his defensive game dramatically which is surprising yet a great move on his part.

The 29-year-old centre has been feeling good since the summer after locking his future with the Oilers into an eight-year deal that is $14 million per season. Having this contract behind him allows him to continue to develop his game and work on the details especially defensively which has become important for many forwards as defence seems to be preached far more often.

It also helps that Draisaitl has a legend for an assistant coach who is none other than former Oilers defenseman Paul Coffey. Coffey's Role is to look after the defense, but it wouldn't be surprising that players like Draisaitl would ask him for advice on how to defend in their own end especially with his size as he stands at six foot 2 and 209 lbs.

No matter the outcome, having a defensively sound Leon Draisaitl who can put over 100 points in the season will make the Oilers far better as the team continues to search for its consistency.

The Oilers will be at home for the next two games as they currently are playing the New York Islanders and then will face off against the Nashville Predators on Thursday November 14th at 9:00 PM eastern