Leon Draisaitl shared his honest thoughts about what a Stanley Cup win would mean for his Edmonton Oilers teammate Connor McDavid ahead of Game 1 against the Florida Panthers.
What did Leon Draisaitl say?
The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers will lock horns in a rematch of the last year's Stanley Cup as the former lost in Game 7. Ahead of Game 1, Draisaitl emphasized that winning the Cup would mean the world to Connor McDavid, who has been the heart of the franchise.
I think it's everything he's ever dreamed of. It's everything that he ever put his work in for, that he grinds for, that he plays through injuries for, Draisaitl said.
It means everything to all of us. Obviously, like you said, I don't know if you want to call it a burden, but being the face of this franchise, of a Canadian franchise — yeah, he wears it and he embraces it. It's what makes him, he added.
The Edmonton Oilers have had a great run in the playoffs so far. They defeated the LA Kings in six games, swept the Vegas Golden Knights and got the better off Dallas Stars in five games. The Oilers have just lost four games in the postseason.
Connor McDavid has been on fire in the postseason as he has notched up 26 points including six goals and 20 assists in the 16 games that he has played. His teammate Leon Draisaitl is behind him with 25 points to his name.
Leon Draisaitl on winning Stanley Cup for Edmonton Oilers
For star player Leon Draisaitl, winning the 2025 Stanley Cup would be the pinnacle of a long process and mean so much to the city, fans and the team. He further emphasized the relationships and the experience between his teammates.
They're my best friends, we've been through a lot of bad years, a lot of tough times here and now a lot of good times as well.
Hopefully, we can do it for most importantly for ourselves, but for the people of Edmonton, the fan base, the organization, you know, they live with us and the passion is just it feels different around here so yeah we're excited to get another crack at it, he added.
After years of building the team, the Edmonton Oilers are now just four wins away from winning the 2025 Stanley Cup. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup against the Florida Panthers will be played on Wednesday night at the Rogers Place in Edmonton.