Leon Draisaitl proves he is a better leader than captain Connor McDavid

The Edmonton Oilers are about to face off against the visiting New Jersey Devils and entering tonight’s game, Leon Draisaitl has six points and has stepped up to lead his team since Connor McDavid’s injury.
So much so that Jim Parsons of the Hockey News is reporting comments out of the Oilers’ dressing room that makes it sounds like Draisaitl may be seen as a better leader.

Sure, the heart of Parsons’ piece is to show that Draisaitl is much more than just McDavid’s teammate, but some of their teammates and head coach Kris Knoblauch felt the need to comment on the German forward’s leadership and guidance without McDavid around.

“Leon has “definitely been our leader,” Knoblauch told reporters. “Tonight, I believe he was the best player on the ice. You need people stepping up, and you need your best players to be your best players. So far, he has. I can’t say enough about what he’s providing our team.”

After Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames in a battle of Alberta, even Zach Hyman claimed that Draisaitl “been outstanding – he’s really stepped up.”

It is possible that he was never really given the chance to command the room, as we have seen in the very viral video of McDavid yelling at his teammate to dig in during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.

McDavid is reportedly out for another two weeks due to an ankle injury and has started to skate again. The Oilers keep pushing during their captain’s absence, but I am also hoping that they will turn to Draisaitl from now on as he’s proven to be a very good leader in their dressing room.