50 goals. That’s the playoff prediction for Leon Draisaitl, and it’s not coming from just anyone, it’s coming from everyone The Great One name: Wayne Gretzky gave this daring tip – the current record is 19 hits, the Canadian Reggie Leach set it up in 1976 for the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzky himself scored 17 goals once, in 1985 for the Edmonton Oilers, for whom Draisaitl now acts. However, is this forecast really that unrealistic? It’s only just into the second round of the playoffs and the Oilers have only played two games against the Vegas Golden Knights. In the first game, Vegas won 6-4, Draisaitl scored all four Oilers goals; he scored two more goals in the 5-1 win on Saturday.
Draisaitl has now scored 13 goals in eight playoff games; 1.6 per game. A maximum of 19 games (five in this round, plus possibly two more best-of-seven series) are still pending for Draisaitl. It shouldn’t be the 50 predicted by Gretzky with a wink, even if he were to keep this quota. Draisaitl is on the way to breaking a record that is almost 50 years old – because the Oilers are doing really well as they want to win their first title in 33 years. On the other hand, because Draisaitl embodies a legendary phrase by Gretzky: “You mustn’t go where the puck is, but where it will be.” Draisaitl currently has a nose for where the puck will be. He knows where the goal is, unlike the puck it doesn’t move. And he manages that the puck will land in the goal after an encounter with him. He shoots, flicks, pokes – and sometimes he fabricates outrageous things.
In the first game against Vegas, he shot from behind the goal and used Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit’s shoulder as a tie. The US commentators used just about every word with negative connotations – dirty, disgusting, outrageous, bitterly angry – which, of course, in this case means the utmost respect. Gretzky said he was “delighted” with Draisaitl.
Two aspects make what is happening in the North American ice hockey league NHL even more fascinating. First: Draisaitl is not only a top scorer, in the regular season he was “only” fourth with 52 goals. His NHL colleagues voted him by a clear margin to be the best passer in the league; he not only knows where the puck will be, but also where his teammates will be. The four playoff assists are below the season average of just under one pass per game – but he usually scores himself at the moment.
Second: Draisaitl is the opposite of selfish. He has credibly asserted for years that he doesn’t care about personal statistics. What counts: winning the Stanley Cup, the success of the team. Goals and assists are his contribution, that’s how he sees it.
It’s fascinating to watch Draisaitl at work these days. It is also fascinating to see how all the praise ricochets off him. He suspects that he will have to achieve historic things so that his team can achieve historic things. Next act: Monday night in Edmonton. The Great One already said he will be in the hall because he doesn’t want to miss what’s going to happen there.