No.

For what? This team has the best player in the world on it and a solid amount of talent. You guys have done nothing but underachieve for years. I’ll give you credit for actually reaching the level of expectation. I hope you guys make the playoffs. I’m glad to see them finally clicking

Mcdavid and Drai have respect though?

Trade Puljujarvi and your first rounder to the Rangers for Kreider and I promise to respect you in the morning.

Playoff time will test their depth and show if they are truly a good team or not. We know what McDavid and Drai can do. One line teams don’t win playoff series.

I'm still expecting a big run of bad play at some point. I just can't believe in a team that almost needs 3 points out of McDavid and Draisaitl each a game for them to have a chance of winning. That can't last, when things get tight in the 2nd half, they could struggle a great deal.

I don't feel like we need respect. I'd rather be underestimated and then take everyone by surprise. If other teams come in thinking "they aren't as good as their record" and "their winning can't last" and "they'll struggle in the 2nd half" if gives the Oilers an advantage.

Don't forget Koskinen. Of the league's 31 starters (goalies that have played 13+ games), Koski is 7th is Sv%, 7th in GAA and 1st in win percentage. That can't last, can it?

Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I think Edmonton is an injury away from utter collapse. If they were to lose McDavid for an extended period of time, their season would fall apart quick.

Yes, a long term injury to McDavid or Draisaitl would certainly hurt the team badly. But lesser core players have sustained injuries: Larsson got injured in the 1st period of game 1 and just recently returned (and isn't up to speed yet) while Nugent-Hopkins is currently sidelined with a hand injury. It hasn't slowed the team.

I'd wager Draisaitl would be a loss but not nearly as vital as McDavid. I still don't know how good Draisaitl is, I think without McDavid he'd be a 70 point player, with him, he's a 130 point player apparently. I think McDavid is 100+ no matter who he plays with. No McDavid, and you lose almost every game because you'll be down at least a full goal a game without him. I don't think Draisaitl would be nearly as big a loss.

Losing the league's top scorer would have a greater impact than you think. His chemstry with McDavid is irreplacable on the roster. McDavid's on-ice scoring rates drop by over 50% without Draisaitl.

Okay, I've heard enough. No Draisaitl isn't the one carrying McDavid. Its the other way around and anyone who thinks that Draisaitl has some how become the best player in the game over the actual best player in the game is just out to lunch.

Nobody is saying that. Re-read what I wrote.

Draisaitl may have more points than McDavid currently, but rest assured, you have a way bigger probabilty of weathering a Draisailt injury than McDavid. I'd wager, McDavid would still carry the team but without him your offense is going to dry right up. Not having to be aware of McDavid on the ice makes defending Draisaitl much easier.

Draisaitl isn't easy to defend either though - he may not be as fast but he's twice as strong. And for the record, both find their on-ice scoring rates severely impacted without the other. Saying that Draisaitl's impact on team scoring is much, much less than McDavid's simply isn't true. Check out how much their all strength scoring rates are impacted when apart as a percentage decrease from when they are together:

2019-20
McDavid: -57% without Draisaitl
Draisaitl: -53.5% without McDavid

2018-19
McDavid: -62.7%
Draisaitl: -67.9%

2017-18:
McDavid: -9.1%
Draisaitl: -34%

2016-17:
McDavid: -31.6%
Draisaitl: -52.9%

The numbers get closer ever year to the point where Draisaitl's scoring drop off "apart" is actually less than McDavid's is. Early days, but Leon is having a splendid season so far and it shouldn't be ignored.

I know he's a great player but I think the whole, Draisaitl is as good as McDavid nonsense has to stop. Draisaitl has never had near as much success without McDavid on his line. Until he proves he's a top player alone, I will continue to say he's great but massively benefited by McDavid. A lot of people like to say Draisaitl is as good as Crosby, or McKinnon or Kucherov and other top elites in the league. All the top players have one thing in common and that is they make everyone they play with look way better than they actually are. Draisaitl hasn't proven he can do that since the oilers can't separate them because 1) it does effect both, but more so 2) Draisaitl away from McDavid has resulted in him not producing hardly at all and it cuts down McDavid's production too much. Together they score 2-3 points a game. Apart, McDavid still scores a point a game at least and Draisaitl just doesn't produce. I just don't want to hear anymore about Draisailt being as good as McDavid. He isn't, not even close.

Again, nobody is saying this. Stop beating the straw man.




And McDavid doesn't have near as much success without Draisaitl on his line, as I proved above.




This is just silly. Name all of the league's top players who produce great results playing with a bunch of 3rd liners. No coach in the league asks a great player to play "alone" - good players ALWAYS play with other good players.




The facts tell a different story. McDavid's individual scoring rate at 5v5 is just 12% higher than Draisaitl's when both are apart (past 108 games, 5v5). That's not the difference between a 'point-a-game' and 'not producing.'




Once again, nobody is saying that. I'm saying it's closer than you think it is. You're underestimating Draisaitl's impact on the Oilers roster, plain and simple.

Sure, whatever man. Draisaitl won't be a top 10 player for me until he dominates without McDavid. He has never done that for an extended period of time ever.

Like Marner without Tavares, right?

A 2 man team shouldn't really get respect. They are top heavy and will tumble when they face real depth in the playoffs.