Leon Draisaitl (born on October 27th, 1995) is a German hockey player that has played all his professional career in Edmonton Oilers. Draisaitl’s player position is left wing. He is the son of retired German international hockey player, Peter Draisaitl, who had a long career in German national team. Nowadays, Czech-born Peter Draisaitl is a professional hockey coach.

Leon Draisaitl won the Art Ross Trophy in 2020 and he is the first German player to do that in the history of ice hockey. Draisaitl is a great playmaker and good in passing. He is offensively dangerous player and needs always special attention from the opponents. Moreover, he has become more consistent in his playing, which is a big plus.

Junior career

Draisaitl’s first team in Germany was Kölner EC but he moved to Mannheimer EHC, when he was 14 years old. Draisaitl scored huge points in German junior leagues before being drafted by Prince Albert Raiders of WHL league in 2012. His time in Raiders was successful and he was appointed to WHL All-Star Eastern Conference team in 2014.

Edmonton Oilers drafted Draisaitl in 2014. He was number three in overall draft, which is the highest draft that German player ever had in NHL. He made a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers and made it to the first team immediately for season 2014-15

Professional career

During his debut season in Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl played 37 regular season games and scored nine points. In the middle of the season he was sent back to Prince Albert Raiders of WHL league and after that, to Kelowna Rockets. In the end of the season, Draisaitl won the WHL championship with the Rockets. He was also awarded with Ed Chynoweth Trophy and Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy.

In Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl was paired with Connor McDavid and together they form one of the most exciting duos in the game of hockey. The regular season scored points of Draisaitl have been better each and every season since he started his professional career. The last two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20) have seen him scoring over 100 points – 105 and 110 points respectively.

At the moment, Draisaitl is playing the best hockey in his life and his future looks bright. He has played only one season of play-off hockey so far, but that should change in the future. Draisaitl played in NHL All-Star game in years 2019 and 2020. In March 2020, he had his first five-point game of his professional career, when he scored four goals and one assist in the game vs. Nashville Predators. It seems that Draisaitl is finally getting credit for being a great player – and not only the sidekick of McDavid.

International career

Draisaitl represented German national team already during his junior years. He made his senior international debut in 2014 World Championships that were held in Minsk, Belarus. He has been a regular face in German team in the World Championships ever since. In 2016 World Cup, Draisaitl played for Team Europe that finished second in the tournament.