“I think if I can continue to do that and continue to chip away at it, maybe just get one percent better at it every year, I think certainly it would help our team," Leon Draisaitl said about his defensive game
EDMONTON, AB – A Rocket Richard, Art Ross, Ted Lindsay and Hart Trophy.
Now, hopefully, on the horizon for Leon Draisaitl – a Selke Trophy.
Draisaitl is coming off a 52-goal, 106-point campaign in 2024-25 – the fourth season in his career where he reached a half-century for goals and his sixth recording triple-digit points – winning the Rocket Richard to reinforce his reputation as one of the League’s most feared offensive players.
While offence is no doubt what Draisaitl is known for, and will continue to be known for, with his deadly release and passing ability from his straight stick blade that’s been colloquially known around the NHL as ‘the Burger Flipper’, the German forward is looking to grow his repertoire by improving more on the defensive side this year to put himself firmly into Selke Trophy discussions.
The Selke Trophy is awarded yearly in the NHL to the forward “who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game,” and Draisaitl has already made significant strides away from the puck in recent seasons that he’s looking to continue in 2025-26 to have an even bigger impact for the Oilers.
“I think just continue to chip away at the other side of the puck,” Draisaitl said following Friday’s skate at Rogers Place during Training Camp.
“I’d like to be in the Selke conversation at the end of this year, and there are a lot of things that go into that and a lot of things that I can learn and get better at. But there are also a lot of things that I think I do really well already, so just looking to chip away at it and get even better.”
Leon talks to the media following Friday’s skate at Training Camp
While the metrics aren’t fully defined, there are several qualities that you’re looking for in a Selke winner, and Draisaitl brings plenty of them to the table – starting with being a centre who can put up points, which he has with 399 goals and 956 points in 790 NHL games.
When he isn’t getting kicked out of the draw, Draisaitl has been able to post a 53.0 percent faceoff win rate over his career, and has posted a Corsi rating above 50 percent in each of his last five seasons (setting a new career high in 2024-25 at 58.7 percent), as per Natural Stat Trick.
Draisaitl hasn’t killed many penalties over his career, but when you have the role and reputation he does as one of the League’s top offensive players, it’s hard to get him more involved in that department – though he does own nine career shorthanded goals.
When he’s operating from The Spot™ located inside the right circle for one-timers on Edmonton’s power play, recording 16 PPGs in 2024-25 and owning the franchise record in that department with 162, it’s hard to find more ice time for Leon on the kill when he’s so relied upon at even strength and on the PP.
As he has grown older, Draisaitl has placed greater emphasis on his defensive game in an effort to find that extra bit of improvement that will help the Oilers achieve their ultimate goal: lifting the Stanley Cup. Trying to do enough to win the Selke Trophy is an excellent motivator for him to gain that extra edge on his opponents and go the extra mile individually for the Oilers.
“Every highly touted offensive player, the first couple of years, you want to put up numbers, and establish yourself as somebody that can score and make plays, and at times even be flashy,” Draisaitl said. “With age, I think you just learn that other parts of the game are actually just as much fun as scoring and assists and all those things. Stripping someone and playing good defence is a lot of fun too – a lot of work, but a lot of fun.”
“I think if I can continue to do that and continue to chip away at it, maybe just get one percent better at it every year, I think certainly it would help our team.”
Kris addresses the media after Day 2 of Training Camp at Rogers Place
Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch already thinks that Draisaitl’s defensive game deserves a lot more credit around the League than it’s getting, and that he deserved a few more Selke Trophy votes last season with his play at both ends of the rink. Draisaitl finished sixth in Selke voting last season behind Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who won for the second straight year and the third time in his career.
“I think last year, he should have had more votes,” Knoblauch said. “If anyone saw him play regularly, they would understand that he’s a tremendous defensive player and takes a lot of pride in that. You don’t usually see the best offensive players commit to defence like that. I think he should definitely have one or two Selke trophies, because he is a good defensive player.”
Draisaitl grew up idolizing Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who announced this week that he’ll retire at the end of what will be his 20th NHL season.
The 40-year-old Slovenian took Draisaitl under his wing at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey when they both played for Team Europe, and have been close friends ever since. Kopitar won the Selke Trophy in 2016 and 2018, along with being a Stanley Cup champion with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.
Draisaitl wants to emulate Kopitar’s success in each regard, and a Selke-winning season for him with the Oilers would surely go a long way in helping the Oilers win a Stanley Cup. For now, he’s lookign forward to a few more battles with his long-time friend this season in the Pacific Division.
“I’ve learned so much from playing against him and from watching him,” Draisaitl said.
“First of all, amazing career. Truly one of the best to do it, and we’ve got another couple of battles against them, so I won’t let him off the hook yet. But just a fantastic career. I love his two-way game. It’s as good as it gets. It’s as good as you’ll ever see, and it’s the consistency part. He’s done it for a long time. He does it every day, every game, and I think that’s something that I took a little bit in getting to, but I’m at a point now where I’m the same way. So hats off to truly an amazing player.”
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