Draisaitl believes his play got better after injury in playoffs
Leon Draisaitl recently opened up about how his injury in the playoffs made him into a better player.
The superstar forward suffered a high ankle sprain in Game 6 during the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, and the injury "evolved" his play.
"The game after, I was trying to push off and I just had no pop, no jump," the superstar said during an interview on Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. "I was getting frustrated with it because I was like, 'I can't beat guys, I don't know what to do now.' ... I just had to change my game a little bit, slow it down even more, if that's even possible."
"It kind of showed me that there's a way that I can become better, in a way, with doing almost less. [] When you're healthy, you try and play your best, you try and play with speed, you try and 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."
"It kind of showed me that there's a way that I can become better, in a way, with doing almost less. [] When you're healthy, you try and play your best, you try and play with speed, you try and 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."
After he suffered the injury, he had an incredible run recording two goals and 22 assists in just 10 games. He almost took on a prime Joe Thornton kind of style, and it turned out quite well for the 26-year-old.
Draisaitl: My game 'evolved' after ankle injury in playoffs https://t.co/6GTRzCmbEO pic.twitter.com/bHd6KdBlpX— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) August 25, 2022
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Drake Batherson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mark Jankowski | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Tim Stutzle | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Carter Yakemchuk | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Mike Amadio | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Thomas Chabot | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Nick Cousins | - | - | - | |
| Dylan Cozens | - | - | - | |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | - | - | - | |
| Lars Eller | - | - | - | |
| Warren Foegele | - | - | - | |
| Dennis Gilbert | - | - | - | |
| Claude Giroux | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||