Oilers Superstar Leon Draisaitl Is NHL’s Most Underrated Player – The Hockey Writers –

Oftentimes, the term ‘underrated’ gets overused in the NHL world. For example, Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov was said by many to be the game’s most underrated player for a ridiculous period of time. It was so long that after a while, it became apparent he was no longer underrated, as, despite that still being claimed, everyone was aware of how elite he was. Before Barkov, others such as Loui Eriksson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson seemed to take the title for a long time as well.

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Now, writers from Daily Faceoff have put out their own takes on who the game’s most underrated player is. There were some great suggestions, including Colorado Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen, Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak, Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin, and Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen, just to name a few. One that was absent, however, was Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

Draisaitl Often Disrespected

In a quick thought, saying Draisaitl is underrated may sound ridiculous. After all, everyone is well aware that he puts up big points year after year and is a sure-fire Hall of Famer when his career is said and done. Taking a longer time to ponder the idea, however, will have it make more sense.

The biggest reason behind Draisaitl being underrated is that there is still a significant chunk of the hockey community who believes he is a byproduct of Connor McDavid. You often hear comments such as, “He plays with McDavid,” from fans who try to dismiss his video-game-like point totals. It’s a lazy argument, as the two have far more often than not played on separate lines in order to help balance the Oilers’ offence.

Since the 2016-17 season, Drasaitl’s 794 points are second amongst all NHLers, as are his 328 goals. Many who discredit him also like to make mention of the power play playing a large impact in his totals, which it does, but 508 of those points have come at even strength. Don’t get it confused, he is a magician on the man advantage, but is every bit as good at 5v5 play.

Draisaitl Ups His Game in the Playoffs

What also makes Draisaitl so special is his ability to up his game in the playoffs. He seemed to take some flack given his struggles in the Stanley Cup Final earlier this year, despite the fact he was playing with several noted injuries. In what was a down playoff…