The Edmonton Oilers will be without Connor McDavid for their next three games after the NHL suspended the superstar forward following an illegal cross-check to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday.
Leon Draisaitl did his best at practice Tuesday morning when prodded by the media for a reaction on the three-game suspension handed to his friend and teammate Connor McDavid on Monday.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl scored his 29th goal in the first five minute of a game in a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl met with the media for the first time since news of McDavid's suspension broke, and the superstar gave a classic sassy comment on the state of NHL refereeing.
It won’t be easy for voters to decide on a Hart Trophy winner in the NHL this season, but one analyst believes the easy choice for MVP is on the Edmonton Oilers
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.
It was hard-nosed blueliner Darnell Nurse who picked up the primary assist. His contribution was being ready to take a Draisaitl pass, and blast a solid attempt on net but have it stopped by Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Instead, it was Draisaitl who did all the work to make this four-on-four goal happen.
The shot attempts have been there for Evan Bouchard down the stretch, and we expect the Oilers defenseman to play a key offensive role with Edmonton missing Connor McDavid.
Nathan MacKinnon has the inside track on his second-straight Hart Trophy winner. Here are four other names to watch in the NHL's MVP race.
When Leon Draisaitl won his first Hart Trophy in 2019-20, he made his case during a stretch when teammate Connor McDavid was out with an injury. The Oilers had missed the playoffs in back-to-back years in 2017-18 and 2018-19 and found themselves back in the mix in 2019-20 after a hot start to the season.
Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist as the league-leading Washington Capitals won their fifth game in a row, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Goaltender Logan Thompson made 30 saves & recorded an assist for the league-leading Capitals on Tuesday night in a 3-2 victory over the Oilers at Rogers Place