The Edmonton Oilers took a loss against the Calgary Flames, but one of their key players reached a milestone in their efforts. Leon Draisaitl scored his 400th NHL goal for the Oilers on Wednesday, becoming the 111th player in league history and 11th active to score at least 400.
Draisaitl scored on the power play at 8:32 in the second period when he received a backhand, cross-crease pass from David Tomasek.
Scoring is not new to Draisaitl as he won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy last season when he led the NHL with 52 goals. That made it the third time in four seasons he scored at least 50 goals, and he has scored at least 40 in six of his 11 NHL seasons. Since the 2018-19 season, he's second in the NHL in points behind his own teammate, Connor McDavid.
There don't look like any signs of Draisaitl slowing down anytime soon, and that bodes well for the Oilers, who have been trying to get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers have stood in their way the past few seasons, but they still have the belief that they can win the title.
Things should feel better around the organization with Connor McDavid signing his contract extension with the team. There were many questions about the future of the team without him, but it looks like he also has the belief that there is unfinished business.
During the summer, Draisaitl noted that he would check in with McDavid every once in a while, but he also made sure to give him his space. Now, the team can focus on winning games and making another deep postseason run like they've done over the past few years.
With Draisaitl continuing to play at a high level, the sky should be the limit for the Oilers.
