Only one more win is missing and one of the greatest comebacks in NHL finals history will be complete. In the middle of it all: German ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl, who wants to break the Edmonton Oilers’ 34-year drought.
“Those who are said to be dead live longer!” This motto not only applies to the Edmonton Oilers, but especially to the German ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl.
Despite a 0-3 deficit in the Stanley Cup finals against the Florida Panthers, the Oilers did not give up and fought back hard. Edmonton crawled back with an 8-1 gala performance and another 5-3 win.
And yet one question clouded the title contender’s happiness. What’s wrong with Leon Draisaitl? The previously outstanding 28-year-old was harmless for long stretches, managing only two scorers in five finals matches. Speculation about an injury was rife.
In game six, however, only eight minutes passed before Draisaitl made an exemplary assist to Warren Foegele, who secured Edmonton’s 1-0 victory. After his dream assist, he was given a beret and paintbrush in the dressing room as the artist of the evening (“Painter”) – as is customary with the Oilers. For Draisaitl personally, it was the 21st assist in this year’s NHL playoffs.
Oilers ahead of game seven: Draisaitl expects mega triumph
After the 5-1 win in game six, the psychological advantage now clearly lies with the Oilers. Daraisaitl’s team has, it seems, pulled the plug on the Panthers. However, Edmonton can’t buy anything with it. After the 3-3 tie in the best-of-seven series, the role of hunter has been abandoned. Now it’s time to reap the rewards of the comeback, which is a completely different challenge.
Ten years after signing an entry-level contract with the Oilers, Draisaitl is close to fulfilling his life’s greatest dream. Winning the Stanley Cup would definitely cement his standing as one of the greatest German athletes in the USA.
Memories are awakened of basketball star Dirk Nowitzki, who needed twelve years to lead his Dallas Mavericks to the long-awaited NBA title. With Uwe Krupp (2002), Dennis Seidenberg (2011), Tom Kühnhackl (2016, 2017) and Nico Sturm (2022), four German professionals have won the Stanley Cup so far. Draisaitl could become the fifth. Now everything depends on the decisive game seven on the night from Monday to Tuesday (from 1:45 a.m. live on ProSieben MAXX, Joyn, ran.de and in the ran app). READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Farewell to the Oilers? Draisaitl will receive a mega contract if he wins the title
By winning the title, Draisaitl could crown his long time in Edmonton – and open a new chapter. Although his contract, signed in 2017, is well-paid and, according to “Bild”, earns the ice hockey star an average of $8.5 million per year, the contract expires in 2025.
With the trophy in his hands, Draisaitl could say goodbye as a hero and possibly sign a long-term contract with another club with a total value of over 100 million euros.
That makes Draisaitl so interesting
There should be no shortage of interested parties, after all, Draisaitl has been one of the stars of the North American ice hockey league for several years. In the last two seasons, he has already put up incredibly strong numbers with 50 points in 28 playoff games. He is currently back up to 31 playoff scorers.
Since 2019, he has been a regular participant in the All-Star Games and in 2020 he even made it into the NHL First All-Star Team. Consequently, he was named Germany’s Sportsman of the Year in the same year.
Draisaitl is known for his ability to be decisive at any time thanks to his assertiveness, his excellent passing and his threat to score from difficult finishing positions. All of this now has to be thrown into the balance and his place in the Oilers’ history books is secure. After all, the franchise has been waiting for a title since 1990.
What happens next for the German top star will be decided this summer. The only thing that is certain is that his story in the NHL is far from over – no matter how the big match ends on Monday night.
2024-06-23 21:16:39
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