Why Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl is a special playoff performer

It happens every year. In the early Edmonton Oilers playoff games, the increase in physical play makes it more difficult for teams to impose their will on opponents.

The game is called differently in the postseason, and intimidation rules the day.

Leon Draisaitl’s game doesn’t change. The big man is fearless, seemingly impervious and absolutely willing to give as much as he takes from the other team.

Fans and media are often guilty of hyperbole when describing the exploits of their favourite players.

You might hear someone say a player improves offensively during the postseason, when the games get more important.

It’s rarely true and ignores that scoring at the same rate in the postseason represents a true accomplishment.

One of the most famous “big game” players in history was Mark Messier.

During his 12 seasons with Edmonton, he posted 1.22 points per game in the regular season and 1.30 points per game in the playoffs.

Connor McDavid (1.52 points per game in the regular season, 1.61 points per game in the playoffs) is historically in the range with Messier, Glenn Anderson and most of the star players in history who have played enough postseason games for the samples to land correctly.

The scoring numbers are ridiculous in both the regular season and the postseason.

Exceeding established levels of ability during the playoffs is rare for impact players.

So, that makes Draisaitl unique.

In the first 10 seasons of his career, Draisaitl is averaging 1.18 points per game in the regular season and 1.61 points per game in the postseason.

Is he really a “big game” player, more than most top-flight NHL players in the game’s history?

We’re 10 years in. Call it what you want, Draisaitl is an outlier.

Perhaps it’s his fearless playing style, although Messier was the king in that regard. Perhaps it’s the time with McDavid on the club’s monster power play.

No matter. It’s real.

The regular season is long and attention spans don’t allow for the same degree of intense evaluation of each game.

As the season reaches the midway point, we may observe the games but lose sight of subtle accomplishments.

We know the win-loss record, the boxcars (goals, assists, points), some may even know five-on-five goal share, but overall the regular season is a more casual observance compared to the postseason.

Once the playoffs hit, everything is vital. Faceoffs in the defensive end, expert passes, booming shots, multiple-point games, even body language is elevated in importance.

Draisaitl is good to great at pretty much all of these things.

His regular season totals and playoff numbers show a complete player and an impact big man offensively.

There are interesting wrinkles. Sample size, usage and opposition strategies shine through when we compare Draisaitl’s regular season numbers with the playoff totals.

All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick

Draisaitl’s goals per 60 are low so far, it’s reasonable to expect a spike over the length of a long playoff series. Regression never shows up on time, but elite talent usually hurries recovery. His shots per 60 will increase.

The big man has reduced his penalties taken (different rulebook) and is drawing many more (counter to rulebook) compared to his regular season. That speaks to discipline, especially considering the increased number of hits he is taking this spring.

One area of his game that is obvious from the eye test: Draisaitl has cut down on his giveaways in a big way.

That kind of control, combined with effort on the backcheck (takeaways) are obvious in any part of the season, but especially visible in the playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks offer a different look than the Los Angeles Kings, and Draisaitl will be an important part of the answer for Edmonton.

If coach Kris Knoblauch chooses to line match in an effort to find clean air for the No. 1 (McDavid) line, it will fall to Draisaitl (likely with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane) to take on the ferocious J.T. Miller line.

Quoting colleagues Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal at The Athletic, “It’s not just the points, although they were massive, or the clutch moments throughout the series. It’s also the physical play, the 20 minutes a night Miller logged, the way his line dominates the run of play at five-on-five, and the 58 percent faceoff win rate he managed against Nashville.”

A big part of what makes Draisaitl both valuable and distinct in the postseason is that he can’t be dominated physically and is capable of punishing opponents while also being dangerous with the puck on his stick.

If Miller’s line holds sway against a McDavid unit sans Draisaitl, and it might, expect the coach to either load up the top unit with 97-29, or run Draisaitl’s line head-to-head in an effort to get quality minutes for the captain.

Draisaitl has always had frightening comparables. In 2021 I looked at Messier, Jean Beliveau and Frank Mahovlich’s scoring rates through the same point in each career and the big man was in the conversation.

Is Draisaitl a playoff unicorn?

Big centres who can impact the game across 200 feet and can run over opponents are extremely valuable.

Draisaitl is in his prime, and just finished a series going head-to-head with Anze Kopitar, the king of the Pacific Division centres for more than a decade.

Matching up against Miller will happen, but we don’t know how often.

We know Draisaitl will be involved in all areas, from scoring and making cherry passes to winning late-game faceoffs that matter.

There’s also the matter of his unusual spike in offensive numbers during postseason games.

Sidney Crosby’s first 10 seasons in the NHL saw him score 1.36 points per game in the regular season and 1.11 in the playoffs.

Gordie Howe was at 1.03 points per game in the regular season and 1.03 in the playoffs in his first 10 seasons as a regular.

Is Draisaitl a unicorn? No matter what name you put on it, Draisaitl will impact the series to come.

(Photo: Perry Nelson / USA Today)

Allan Mitchell is a contributor to The Athletic's Oilers coverage. Veteran radio broadcast. His blog, Lowetide, has chronicled the team since 2005. Follow Allan on Twitter @Lowetide