ROSTER REDUX: Leon Draisaitl

Ahead of the 2018-19 season, EdmontonOilers.com is taking a look back at the '17-18 individual performances of the Oilers in our series 'Roster Redux'
EDMONTON, AB - A step backwards in performance and results this past season isn't acceptable for Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and his teammates.
"I speak for everyone saying that's not what we hoped for and what we'd been planning on," the 22-year-old said during his exit interview this past April. "We were too inconsistent as a team to even give us a chance to push for the playoffs."
"We want to make the playoffs and there's no way around it."
In a down year for the Oilers, Draisaitl was consistent offensively with a 0.9 point-per-game season of 70 points (25 goals, 45 assists) in '17-18 - down slightly from his 0.94 a year prior during a playoff season.
But factor in a 16-point reduction on the power play from 27 to 11 in '17-18, last year's total could've been a career-best for the German forward. The man-advantage for the Oilers faltered at a league-low 14.8 percent.

ROSTER REDUX

SERIES SO FAR
Nugent-Hopkins
Talbot
Caggiula
Klefbom
McDavid
In the end, it was a microcosm of their season.
"It kind of reflects on the season we had - we never got rolling and never really put a string of games or goals together on the power play," Draisaitl said. "We just weren't good enough."
"We have all the skill in the world on this team to have a good power play and put two good units out there."
Draisaitl found himself on the perimeter of the power play for a majority of last season, mentioning the one-timer from the circle as one of the many areas he hopes to improve this off-season.
"I think I can do that more," he commented. "I think there's lots of things I can still add to my toolbox, and I'm looking to work on that this summer. I have so many things to learn still and so many things I can be better that. It's about having a good summer, gaining some confidence and putting the things that you work on into place."

Echoing the words of his teammates, a tough start to the season including four losses in their first five games put the Oilers in a hole early that couldn't be filled. Factor in a three-game stint on the injured reserve with a concussion in October for Draisaitl, momentum was scarce in the early days of the NHL campaign.
"We were behind the 8-ball right from the start," he added. "This league is too good to give away the first 20-25 games then you think you're going to come back and make the playoffs. The teams are too good and we learned our lesson with that.
"If you get off to a good start your confidence is high and you're buzzing. Everyone's feeling great coming to the rink and practice. You lose the first four games then all of the sudden everyone's panicking and no one has confidence. We need to make sure we change that and come with the same mindset as last year."
Draisaitl's versatility in the past has given him plenty of ice-time on the right wing alongside Connor McDavid despite being a centre, but the forward's priority remains where the coaching staff sees fit.
"I come to the rink in the morning, look at the board to see where I'm at, then wherever that is I'll go play and try to be the best player I can be," he said.