It was hard-nosed blueliner Darnell Nurse who picked up the primary assist. His contribution was being ready to take a Draisaitl pass, and blast a solid attempt on net but have it stopped by Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Instead, it was Draisaitl who did all the work to make this four-on-four goal happen.

It’s always a solid bet that the Edmonton Oilers are going to be well-represented at the NHL Awards in the summer. That’s not just because the team boasts the game’s top player in Connor McDavid, a perennial favourite to lead the league in scoring and be voted as the Most Valuable Player.

We’re right around the league’s halfway point which is a perfect time to check in on the major awards races. A lot has changed over the last five weeks. Not everything has changed — Connor Hellebuyck will probably win back-to-back Vezinas and someone from Florida deserves the Selke — but the other races have certainly seen some interesting movement.

Other Votes: Anze Kopitar, Jordan Staal, Nico Hischier, Mark Stone, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel ... contenders got first-place votes, but it was Hughes who usurped the first quarter winner ...

Leon Draisaitl recorded two goals in the loss and became the first player to reach 30 goals in the 2024-2025 campaign. The German-born phenom is up to 31 goals and 30 assists for 61 points.

Leon Draisaitl is having a Hart-Trophy calibre season this year, but fans and media outside of Edmonton are still sleeping on the Oilers superstar - with TSN not even naming him as an MVP candidate.