Edmonton Oilers C Leon Draisaitl

Leon Draisaitl: Edmonton Oilers Depth at Center

Leon Draisaitl, one of many star centers in the Oilers organization, stands 6’1″ and weighs over 210 pounds. This stout German talent has already racked up 38 points through 41 games during his first season as a feature piece of the Edmonton Oilers offense. Despite this seasons point totals and being the 3rd overall draft choice of the Oilers in 2014, Leon Draisaitl has taken a backseat to Phenom – Connor McDavid.

After a brief look at the Oilers roster, you quickly notice the depth the Oilers have at the center position. I have mentioned McDavid and Draisaitl, two building blocks at center for any organization, but the Oilers also boast another former 1st overall pick at center in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

RNH has been featured as the teams 1st line center in past years, but has played lights out when featured as the teams 2nd line center. The Oilers also feature Mark Letestu, Anton Lander and Matt Hendricks at the center position in the bottom of their lineup.

Now, depth at any position is great, but there is such thing as too much depth in today’s salary cap world. McDavid, Draisaitl and RNH centering your top three lines may be a dream lineup for an All Star Team, but it is not practical for a team in the NHL.

Moving one of these talented players to the wing is difficult, especially in the case of an Oilers team that boasts Hall, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov (amongst prospects knocking at the door for NHL minutes).

The best course of action for the Oilers – cash in on the surplus at the centre position. Many have discussed potential trades focused around the currently injured RNH which would address the surplus and allow the team to benefit with a good prospect and draft pick. I, however, would recommend a trade surrounding Leon Draisaitl for the following reasons:

2016 Free Agency will showcase multiple two-way 2nd line centers who could be had at or below RNH’s salary without sacrificing assets
RNH has struggled with injuries throughout his NHL career
The current injury to RNH gives the team time to develop McDavid and showcase Draisaitl
RNH is an offensive minded centre and has struggled with the physical and defensive sides of the game, further decreasing his trade value
A trade built around Leon Draisaitl has the potential to address multiple needs for the Oilers as the asking price can and should be high

Jan 19, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) skates against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Next: Edmonton Oilers: Life Without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Who would be interested in Leon Draisaitl and have the assets to send back?