Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl did not hold back in his assessment of the team's downward trajectory this season. In a frank interview, the forward acknowledged that the Oilers have regressed significantly and must correct their course.
Concerns About Direction
"I am concerned because we're not trending in the right direction. We've taken big steps backwards, and we got to get a grip of this and head back in the right direction," Draisaitl said. He added that the team may have lost some of the intensity that fueled their previous deep playoff runs. "I think maybe we lost a little bit of that fire that we had the last two years, because it has been a lot of hockey, it has been a long season."
Regular Season Struggles
The issues began during the regular season, where Draisaitl admitted both he and the team failed to execute properly in crucial moments. "We didn't do a good enough job of properly winning games. And I don't like using the terminology of taking the regular season serious, because we do. We go into every game and we try to do it right. We say the right things. But I think you really have to get comfortable in these moments. And we didn't do that this year and it ended up showing in the first round here."
Need for Collective Effort
Draisaitl emphasized that success cannot rely solely on star players like himself, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard. "Connor, Bouchard, maybe myself, like maybe the three of us, when the game's on the line, we have to make a difference, and the day to day, we have to set the tone, and we have to lead in the right way. But at the end of the day, it's not a three-man team. It's not a four-man team. You need everybody to feel important. Need everybody to want to be important, and I think that's something to look forward to next season."
McDavid's Contract Window
With Connor McDavid entering the final two years of his contract, Draisaitl expressed urgency. "We have to make the most of the next two years," he said.
Injury and Defensive Play
Draisaitl revealed he played through a knee injury during the playoffs. "I would say for sure, didn't feel like I had the pop in my step that I would like to have or maybe that I usually have. All in all, it felt strong. It felt good enough to have an impact in certain moments, but certainly not at 100%." He also acknowledged defensive shortcomings. "Yeah, for sure. And I take myself right to the top of that. I wasn't necessarily happy with the way I defended all season, or the details in my game. I feel like they slipped away from me a little bit. And that's certainly something that I really want to focus on."
Organizational Accountability
When asked about his earlier comments that everyone from coaches to players needed improvement, Draisaitl clarified: "My comments came from a general objective of our organization, of our team. And I don't like singling out anyone. I think our group took a step back. And I think the same thing about our coaching, about our management. I think the whole organization, we took a step back, and that needs to be fixed. At the end of the day, I can only control what I can control, though, and I have to be honest with myself, my details slipped away from me, not too much to my standard, and that's something that I will change."
More details on the Oilers' offseason plans are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.
