Draisaitl is expected to be a core piece for the Oilers for the foreseeable future. He signed an eight-year, $112 million contract ($14 million average annual value) starting next season and is currently in the final season of an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) signed prior to the 2017-2018 season.

The Edmonton Oilers are second in the Pacific Division, and they have Leon Draisaitl to thank for that. While their 27-13-3 record through 43 games was largely expected, how they got there has been somewhat surprising.

Draisaitl's elite production has led the Oilers to a top-five position in the NHL standings and he is firmly in the mix to take home his second Hart Trophy. Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Draisaitl has the third-best odds to win the award at +320. Only Nathan MacKinnon at +280 and his Oilers teammate Connor McDavid at +300 have shorter odds.

Leon Draisaitl is having a Hart-Trophy calibre season this year, but fans and media outside of Edmonton are still sleeping on the Oilers superstar - with TSN not even naming him as an MVP candidate.

Here are the report cards for the first half Oilers in 2024-25.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

The top unit of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Hyman are still spearheading a sharp unit as the Oilers rank No. 8 overall in power-play efficiency, but they ended last season at No. 4.

Could Connor McDavid leave Edmonton at the end of his contract? @wyshynski explained to @JeffMarek why he doesn't believe it's a guarantee that the #LetsGoOilers superstar remains with the team when his contract expires👀 Presented by @FanDuelCanada pic.twitter.com/PPodhegfyw

With McDavid out with an injury in early November and the Oilers already struggling for traction, Draisaitl put up back-to-back three-point nights, factoring in on six of Edmonton’s nine goals in 5-1 and 4-2 wins over Nashville and Calgary.

Edmonton Oilers' star center Leon Draisaitl was the hero once again in a win over the Anaheim Ducks. With just 1:32 remaining in the third period, a loose puck

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

The Edmonton Oilers will face the Colorado Avalanche in this NHL matchup at Ball Arena on Thursday, January 16th. WATCH: Oilers vs Avalanche Live | Stream free