Ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl has largely recovered from his foot injury from last season and is looking forward to the start of the North American professional league NHL.
“I feel good. The foot is mostly healed”, the 27-year-old Edmonton Oilers international said in a digital media roundtable. The forward played with a painful ankle injury in last season’s playoffs. Draisaitl admitted that it was an injury that lasted longer than a few months, but at the same time gave the all-clear: “I feel stable and fit.”
Top rate as a scorer despite being eliminated from the semifinals
The Edmonton Oilers will start the new season this Wednesday (10/12/22, 8:00 p.m. local time) with a home game against the Vancouver Canucks. Most recently, the team had reached the semi-finals in the fight for the coveted Stanley Cup and had only failed there at the eventual title holder Colorado Avalanche.
In the 80 games of the regular season, Draisaitl was second in the NHL with 55 goals and had 110 points with 55 assists. In the subsequent 16 playoff games, he scored 32 points (7 goals, 25 assists), a top rate.
Draisaitl: Upper salary limit ensures balance and excitement
The native of Cologne considers the Oilers to be a contender for the Stanley Cup again in the coming season. The league is incredibly balanced because of the salary cap (salary cap that teams are allowed to spend). “There are ten teams that have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. As a team, I think we’re one of them.”judged Draisaitl.
In his opinion, opponent Vancouver is one “unpleasant team for years”. The Canucks also have a goal of making the playoffs. “It’s going to be a great start”said Draisaitl.