Leon Draisaitl Questions NHL’s Priorities with Subtle Accusation

Leon Draisaitl did his best at practice Tuesday morning when prodded by the media for a reaction on the three-game suspension handed to his friend and teammate Connor McDavid on Monday. What is being deemed as a stiff penalty for a crosscheck on Conor Garland, McDavid will miss the next three games, which Draisaitl called “a little too much.” He added, “I guess we don’t overly care about having our best players in the league in the game.”

Draisaitl’s take is the same as many. Head coach Kris Knoblauch defined comment, but Mattias Ekholm said, “I think it’s way too high, but I don’t think me standing here thinkin’ stuff is going to help the situation.”

Draisaitl Argued McDavid Didn’t Want the Garland Altercation

Noting that McDavid isn’t looking to engage Garland or get caught up, it was a clear penalty on Garland, who knew McDavid was only trying to score. It doesn’t benefit the Oilers or McDavid to get caught up in a battle with a player when there are just seconds left on the clock and the team is trying to tie the game.

Draisaitl also made sure to note that the game is fast, and the officials can’t get everything right all the time. Still, that was the last thing McDavid wanted, and it was “completely avoidable,” said Draisaitl.

The criticism just hours after the ruling by the NHL DoPS is that McDavid and Tyler Myers both got handed a stiff punishment when previous suspensions weren’t as harsh. And, while special treatment shouldn’t necessarily be given to star players like McDavid, it seems odd that the league would come down harder on one of its better players.

The DoPS ruled that the crosscheck was retaliatory in nature and cited McDavid’s history of suspension and a fine as part of their decision. But, in taking him out for three games, the NHL has lost a marketable matchup in McDavid versus Alex Ovechkin, a must-watch rematch between the Oilers and Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, and another game that home fans won’t get to see the best player in the world.

Is There a Positive for the Oilers?

Fans can and should look forward to one thing: Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers might be out to prove a point. Losing McDavid is not ideal. That said, history shows that Draisaitl has an ability to elevate his already elite game to new levels when he has to put the team on his back. He also said the rest of the team is looking to step up, too.

He noted, “You know you’re gonna rely on other guys a little bit more than maybe you usually do & I think that creates certain excitement for those individuals.” And, if the Oilers can manage to tread water without the best player in the world, they’ll be getting back a McDavid with some ground to make up and a point to prove.

Next: McDavid Makes Suspension Appeal Choice, Fallout Coming?