BLOG: Draisaitl checks in from European Player Media Tour

EDMONTON, AB - Bonjour, Leon.
The NHL European Player Media Tour took place in Paris this week ahead of the 2022-23 season, and Edmonton Oilers forward and German superstar Leon Draisaitl was among the attending players putting on their best faces for the League and posing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Draisaitl took part in a number of media-gathering opportunities -- including photos, videos and interviews -- discussing last season's playoff run, fighting through injury, German hockey and the Oilers hopes of growing into Stanley Cup champions after the Blue & Orange bowed out in the Western Conference Final this past June to the Colorado Avalanche.

The pain that came from pushing off with his right ankle limited his ability to accelerate and beat defenders wide, leading to him finding ways to contribute despite the ailment by slowing the game down and operating from stationary areas.
"The second I would catch it in a game, just the toe would get stuck or I'd twist it in a general direction where normally it does nothing, the pain would just shoot up my body and take all my energy out," Draisaitl said. "So it was definitely painful. It was very painful. There was a lot of treatment going on, but like I said, there are lots of guys who play through injuries."
The best players in the world, like the former Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner from '19-20, find ways to adapt. Despite the injury challenges, Draisaitl found the experience beneficial by learning to find different ways to contribute and perform offensively.
"I liked it because I had to change my game," he said. "It kind of showed me that there's a way I can become better in a way by doing almost less. I was very interested by that part of the game.
"When you're healthy, you try to play your best and you try to play with speed and try to play fast. I didn't have that to my game, so I tried to find a way to be productive in a different way. I thought I did a pretty good job of that."
Draisaitl did more than just that the rest of the way after suffering the injury by scoring twice and recording a stellar 22 assists over the next 10 games, including registering an NHL record of three or more points in five straight playoff games. The Oilers defeated their provincial rivals the Calgary Flames in five games during a hotly-contested and emotional series in which the German recorded two goals and 15 assists on one ankle.

"I think there's definitely some extra spice there, especially when we finished one and two in our division," Draisaitl said of the Battle of Alberta in the post-season. "Obviously there's some history with both organizations going on and there was a stat that said it was the first time since 1990 or something that the Oilers and Flames faced each other.
"The media can hype it up a lot. The fans and media… You could feel it. There was just something in the air, and I think those are just the most fun games. There was so much tension for two weeks and there was so much going on. Every game was so hyped up, so it was so much fun being a part of it."
The Oilers would lose out in four games in the Western Conference Final to the Avalanche, the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, but there were plenty of lessons learned in the locker room for this upcoming campaign and beyond as they try to push beyond the benchmark they established last season.
"They were the best team in the League," Draisaitl said. "They were better than us, no question. I think the series was a lot tighter than some people might give us credit for. Other than maybe Game 2, it could've really went either way."
To be the best, most of the time you have to beat the best and the Oilers expect they'll have to find their way through the Avalanche again to inch closer to the Cup.
"A lot of teams, they look at the team that's won it last and try to pick little things from what they do," he said. "Tampa was the same thing, but that's a really good hockey team. We want to get there. I think if we want to win the Stanley Cup, we're going to have to go through them again at some point, so hopefully it's next season."
Draisaitl has spent time training in Toronto this off-season with new Oilers netminder Jack Campbell and is expecting to arrive in Edmonton on August 29, as per aninterview with NHL.com Senior Writer Dan Rosen.
Earlier this month, Head Coach Jay Woodcroft sain on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer that he's expecting Draisaitl to be healthy and ready to go for Main Camp in September.