Draisaitl, Oilers have 'right mindset' to win Stanley Cup

EDMONTON -- Leon Draisaitl said he believes the Edmonton Oilers are better equipped for a run at the Stanley Cup this season.

Though the Oilers forward did not double down on his "Stanley Cup or bust next year" comment made after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, he is confident Edmonton will benefit from lessons of previous disappointments.

“It’s an interesting quote. Next question,” Draisaitl joked Thursday following a captain’s skate at Rogers Place. “Obviously we want to win a Stanley Cup here, there is no doubt about that. I think we have to be careful in putting too much pressure on ourselves in that way, there are 31 other teams that are trying to do what we’re doing. So, there are going to be some ups and downs, but I think we have the group in here to do it. We have the right mindset. We’ve learned a lot over the last couple of years.”

The Oilers decided to get an early start on the season by gathering two weeks before training camp for team skates that started Wednesday. Training camp in Edmonton begins Sept. 20; the Oilers' first preseason game is here against the Winnipeg Jets on Sept. 24.

“We’re determined, you can see in the fact that everyone is here working hard and trying to get things going early,” Draisaitl said. “Obviously there is one goal here and whether it pans out this way we’ll see but one thing is guaranteed, is that we’re going to do everything in our power to achieve that goal and get to that point. We’re excited for the year, we’re excited for the new guys coming in. It should be a good year.”

Draisaitl prepared for the season by spending more time in North America this offseason. The 27-year-old native of Cologne, Germany, had a full summer of training as opposed to a year ago when he was recovering from a sprained ankle sustained in the first round of the 2022 playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings.

“Absolutely, I feel really good, I had a really good summer,” Draisaitl said. “I trained a lot, skated a lot and feel fresh and ready to go. I was in Toronto a lot. My girlfriend is from out there, so we spent a lot of time out there.”


Entering his 10th NHL season, Draisaitl has developed into one of the League’s elite offensive players. He is a three-time 50-goal scorer who is looking to improve on an NHL career-high 128-point season (52 goals, 76 assists). Draisaitl was selected No. 3 by Edmonton in the 2014 NHL Draft.

“It’s a weird feeling, because I still feel pretty young but I’m going into my 10th year here with one organization,” he said. “Time just kind of flies by, but at the same time, it’s obviously so much fun and I’ve had some great years.”

Edmonton (50-23-9) was second in the Pacific Division last season, then defeated Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs before losing in six games to Vegas, which went on to win the Stanley Cup. It was the second straight season the Oilers were eliminated by the eventual Cup champions; they were swept in the Western Conference Final by the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

“Sometimes it’s just learning how not to lose the game instead or learning how to win it,” Draisaitl said. “I think we’re the best team in the League at really, clearly winning a game, but I think we’re not so great at finding ways not to lose games. I think it’s a little bit of maturity, sometimes you have go through these pains and tough times to learn from it and move on.”

The Oilers are working toward playoff success, but Draisaitl said they understand the importance of having a strong regular season and improving throughout the season.

“It’s a grind, it’s long, there’s a lot of games,” he said. “You build your game in segments, get off to a good start. We can talk about playoffs all we want, but if we’re not in it to have a chance, then there is no reason to talk about it. So, we have to make sure we are there first."