Leon Draisaitl is one of the best playoff performers in NHL history

[KlefDown]

Here is the Eastern Markets take on terrible Defensive players:

These guys are all horrible defensively:
View attachment 874749

Here is the Eastern Markets take on AMAZING Defensive players:
Amazing Defensive Players:
View attachment 874750


So simple narrative is:

100+ points = horrible defensively
60-ish point = Amazing defensively



And not a single game has ever been watched by any of them.

It’s scary how crazy accurate the point you are trying to make is even though you’re generalizing from points totals

 

[Pass the Saitl Sauce]

Had some good back checks and defensive plays tonight. Has an index finger wrapped like a mummy which is a bit concerning.

It’s effecting his face offs too

 

[Sanderson]

Actually yes, Ray Bourque was not a great playoff performer. Go look at the Bill Lindsay goal, the Brad May goal, Bourque burned for goals by mediocre players. He was lucky he was able to ride on Joe Sakics coat tails.....

Right, because getting burned once or twice (something that happens to every player, no matter how good) is what matters, not high end performances and carrying your team as far as it gets.
Bourque did the latter a ton, about as much as a non-goalie possibily could. Do you judge Patrick Roy based on his three Conn Smythe Trophies and multiple great playoffs runs, or the "statue of liberty" and following that getting torched by Detroit in game 7?
Greatness doesn't mean that you are flawless.

Will winning a Cup or not make a difference in perception? Yes.
Should it? No, absolutely not. It's people ignoring that one player cannot ever win on his own, and there are way too many of those. A team winning has no bearing on how well the player performed. Someone doesn't become a better alltime player just because he lucked himself into becoming a Cup-winner as a fading 4th liner when he got old.

Joe Thornton gets a lower standing because he got the reputation of a playoff-choker, not because he didn't win. He never quite managed to shake that label, though he did have quite a few good runs as well. You fail once or twice, even if it happened due to injury, and it takes a lot for people to forget about that.

 

[McFlyingV]

He doesn’t play on the PK. He only plays in defensive situations at even strength because he’s good at faceoffs. He’s not good defensively. He’s below average. Why are you lying to yourself?

But as I said he steps it up in the playoffs, and that’s all that matters right now.

He is good defensively. Just tell me you never watch him and be done with it.

 

[phrenssoa]

He is good defensively. Just tell me you never watch him and be done with it.

He has been good in the playoffs. In the regular season however he leaves a lot to be desired. Just admit that you don’t watch him play and be done with it.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Because this isn't basketball. You can't just rely on 2 players to win a cup.

How come LeBron, Curry, Jokic, Giannis, SGA, KD, Kawhi, etc are all sitting at home if all it takes are two players to win in the NBA then?

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

He has been good in the playoffs. In the regular season however he leaves a lot to be desired. Just admit that you don’t watch him play and be done with it.

He scores 40-50 goals, 100+ points a season and the team makes the playoffs. Who gives a shit about the regular season if he turns it on in the playoffs like you said?

Just another hater.

 

[MessierII]

He has been good in the playoffs. In the regular season however he leaves a lot to be desired. Just admit that you don’t watch him play and be done with it.

I don’t think his body could play at this level for 82 games without breaking down and he knows it. He doesn’t care about regular season accolades at this point in his career.

 

[McFlyingV]

He has been good in the playoffs. In the regular season however he leaves a lot to be desired. Just admit that you don’t watch him play and be done with it.

Imagine thinking regular season matters and imagine thinking you know more about an Oilers than me. Very few players play flawless 2-way hockey all season long. Unlike you I actually watch Draisaitl every night and know what he's capable of when he's dialled in. You're just seeing it now and realizing the narratives you believed were complete bullshit and you feel like a fool for it.

 

[Kerberos]

How come LeBron, Curry, Jokic, Giannis, SGA, KD, Kawhi, etc are all sitting at home if all it takes are two players to win in the NBA then?

Most of these hockey-only fans don't actually understand the sport of Basketball or what it takes to win in the modern day NBA.

 

[phrenssoa]

Imagine thinking regular season matters and imagine thinking you know more about an Oilers than me. Very few players play flawless 2-way hockey all season long. Unlike you I actually watch Draisaitl every night and know what he's capable of when he's dialled in. You're just seeing it now and realizing the narratives you believed were complete bullshit and you feel like a fool for it.

I have watched just about every game of Draisaitl’s career actually. I’ve been a die-hard Oilers fan since June 19 2006.

Listen, I’m a Draisaitl fanboy too. Love the guy. But I try to see things objectively.

All I said originally, which I was attacked for, was that I can see where people are coming from with their criticisms of Draisaitl (in the regular season). He can be lazy and very undisciplined.

There’s been nothing to complain about these playoffs though. He has been awesome.

 

[McFlyingV]

I have watched just about every game of Draisaitl’s career actually. I’ve been a die-hard Oilers fan since June 19 2006.

Listen, I’m a Draisaitl fanboy too. Love the guy. But I try to see things objectively.

All I said originally, which I was attacked for, was that I can see where people are coming from with their criticisms of Draisaitl (in the regular season). He can be lazy and very undisciplined.

There’s been nothing to complain about these playoffs though. He has been awesome.

I just think peoples expectations of players is way too high. Even Selke winners get embarrassed multiple times throughout the season. Maybe I'm just tired of all the shit that has been flung Draisaitl's way despite him being a guaranteed HHOFer when he retires.

 

[Calderon]

Here's a complete(*) list of players who have scored 20+ playoff points in at least three consecutive playoffs:

1. Guy Lafleur (1977, 1978, 1979)
2. Bryan Trottier (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
3. Mike Bossy (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
4. Denis Potvin (1981, 1982, 1983)
5. Wayne Gretzky (1983, 1984, 1985)
6. Mark Messier (1983, 1984, 1985)
7. Jari Kurri (1983, 1984, 1985)
8. Wayne Gretzky (1987, 1988, 1989) - a 2nd streak
9. Sergei Fedorov (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)
10. Nikita Kucherov (2020, 2021, 2022)
11. Connor McDavid (2022, 2023, 2024)
12. Leon Draisaitl (2022, 2023, 2024)

(*) Subject to verification by God and/or pnep

Oh, Gretz only has three consecutive while two Islanders and Fedorov have four. *Scrolls down the list*. Haha Wayne is the only one to have two sets of three consecutive. Just too funny. (Assuming the data is accurate, of course.)

 

[PaulD]

I’m chiming in late here so not sure if this has been discussed, but I would argue that winning a Cup doesn’t matter to someone’s legacy as much as it used to since it is harder now than ever to win a Cup, with 32 teams in the league.

I can’t help but feel like it counts for something though (fair or not), as much as it is a team award.

For elite players it's the cherry in top.

For instance Brad Park and Denis Potvin both were elite Dmen . Of equal skill, talent and individual value.
Potvin probably gets the nod on who was better between the two because of the 4 Cups he won , and Park not having won one.

 

[K1900L]

Last night, Draisaitl became the first player not named Gretzky to put up 25 points in the first 13 games in postseason in multiple years (Draisaitl 2x, Gretzky 4x).

 

[McNuge]

He doesn’t play on the PK. He only plays in defensive situations at even strength because he’s good at faceoffs. He’s not good defensively. He’s below average. Why are you lying to yourself?

But as I said he steps it up in the playoffs, and that’s all that matters right now.

He was the go to 5 on 3 sole forward PKer for atleast 4 coaches now. He doesn't play much 5 on 4 PK because he already plays a ton of 5 on 5 and 75-100% of every PP.

 

[phrenssoa]

He was the go to 5 on 3 sole forward PKer for atleast 4 coaches now. He doesn't play much 5 on 4 PK because he already plays a ton of 5 on 5 and 75-100% of every PP.

Bottom line is he’s good at faceoffs, but there’s no need to pretend he’s good defensively (in the regular season). I literally watch every game. I was just trying to say that to claim that Draisaitl “plays in defensive situations” is a bit of a stretch. I mean sure, he plays in empty net situations but all stars do. Even Kyle Connor plays in empty net situations and no one will try to tell you he’s good defensively.

 

[PaulD]

Some guys, trying way to hard up pick Draisaitls game apart , ha! as leads all play off scorers and in running fir Con Smyth
If you can rip Draisaitl.....who can't you rip?

 

[Gorskyontario]

Actually yes, Ray Bourque was not a great playoff performer. Go look at the Bill Lindsay goal, the Brad May goal, Bourque burned for goals by mediocre players. He was lucky he was able to ride on Joe Sakics coat tails.....

Bourque got burned because he was playing 30-35 minutes a night. Your post literally proves you never watched hockey in his era, and only watch youtube highlights.

Want to know why Bourque was on the ice for so many infamous goals? Who else were the bruins going to play?

 

[McNuge]

Bottom line is he’s good at faceoffs, but there’s no need to pretend he’s good defensively (in the regular season). I literally watch every game. I was just trying to say that to claim that Draisaitl “plays in defensive situations” is a bit of a stretch. I mean sure, he plays in empty net situations but all stars do. Even Kyle Connor plays in empty net situations and no one will try to tell you he’s good defensively.

He is not nearly as bad defensively as people try to make him out to be. No he's not winning any Selke's with his regular season defense but he's far from a liability out there. These playoffs though? He's been incredible defensively.

Not sure what an empty net situation has to do with the convo lol.

 

[ThreeOfAPerfectPair]

 

[swiftwin]

Last night, Draisaitl became the first player not named Gretzky to put up 25 points in the first 13 games in postseason in multiple years (Draisaitl 2x, Gretzky 4x).

First 13 games because he pads his stats against weak Pacific teams in the first 2 rounds and disappears in the 3rd round again.

 

[Ducks DVM]

What a bad take. Obviously you don't watch him and are just saying things for Matthews sake. He's playing Selke level defense in these playoffs, anyone with eyeballs can see that.

He’s been on the ice for 19 ES goals for, 19 ES goals against, and is (ahead of only Nurse) at 19th on the Oilers this playoffs for that goals against while on the ice stat.

The guy is a scoring machine, but he’s absolutely not Selke level at anything.

 

[Frank Drebin]

He’s been on the ice for 19 ES goals for, 19 ES goals against, and is (ahead of only Nurse) at 19th on the Oilers this playoffs for that goals against while on the ice stat.

The guy is a scoring machine, but he’s absolutely not Selke level at anything.

No one is calling him Patrice bergeron but having a sieve in net won't help your plus minus much

 

[Ducks DVM]

No one is calling him Patrice bergeron but having a sieve in net won't help your plus minus much

The guy I responded to literally said he was playing Selke level defense.