EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl was a prolific, post-season playmaker for the Edmonton Oilers even with a high-ankle sprain less than a year ago.
If the big centre can stay healthy through the 2023 NHL playoffs, the No. 2 in Edmonton's potent one-two punch can pack an even heftier wallop.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Draisaitl scored an astounding 116 goals and compiled 281 points between them, including a combined 53 power-play goals, during the regular season.
It's a tall order for opposing teams to contain one, let alone both.
"It's been big for us all year, to be able to have those guys on separate lines," Oilers defenceman Cody Ceci said Monday before Game 1 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
"If we need them to play together, they're comfortable with playing with each other and we can throw them out together at anytime. Having that in our back pocket is big for us and helps us against anyone."
Draisaitl sustained a high ankle sprain tangling with Kings defenceman Mikey Anderson in Game 6 of last year's opening-round series, which the Oilers took four games to three.
Despite the pain, Draisaitl continued to be a difference-maker with two goals and 22 assists in another 10 games before the Oilers were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.
"I hope I don't have to do that again this year," Draisaitl said. "Helped me grow as a person and a player. You learn from those things and you try and take something positive out of it, as hard as it is in the moment."
Said Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft: "It was a testament to his pain threshold for sure. What he put his body through to get ready for every game was outstanding."
The six-foot-two, 208-pound Draisaitl is among 13 Oilers bringing the experience of that 16-game run to this year's quest for the Stanley Cup. It was Edmonton's longest playoff drive since reaching the Cup final in 2006.
"Having gone through a longer run last season, I think helped us a lot in terms of the ups and downs in the series and the run," Draisaitl said. "I think we're a little more relaxed maybe than last season, which I think will help us.
"You're just going out and playing. There's no overthinking. You're just going to go out and play your best team game. I think our team game most nights will be good enough.}
Draisaitl will likely get a face full of veteran centre Anze Kopitar — the 2018 Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's top defensive forward — in this year's first-round rematch with the Kings.
"We've played them enough over the course of the last year and this year and last series, so unless he's got something up his sleeve that I haven't seen yet, then it might be a surprise," Kopitar said.
"He's a world-class player with a ton of skill, so you certainly have to pay attention to that."
DOUGHTY UNDAUNTED
Star defenceman Drew Doughty is a key cog in L.A.'s strategy to limit McDavid.
"I love the moment. I love the challenge," Doughty said. "Everybody knows how good he is and how hard he is to shut down.
"But I'm going to do the best to my ability with my partner Mikey and whatever forward line is out there, we're going to do our best to keep him off the scoresheet as much as we can.
"Shutting down him will be a key to winning the series."
The 33-year-old from London, Ont., and two-time Stanley Cup winner sat out the 2022 series with the Oilers because of season-ending wrist surgery.
"Watching it last year just amps me up even more for this year," Doughty said.
McDavid crunched Anderson face-first into the glass in a March 30 regular-season game. Edmonton's captain was assessed a boarding minor.
Anderson missed five games with an upper-body injury, so Doughty wasn't ruling out McDavid payback in the series.
"We don't want to be going to the box, so I don't know that we're going to be taking dumb penalties on them or anything like that, but if we get a chance to smack him, we're going to try to do that," Doughty said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2023.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
