Oilers fans have often made accusations of referee bias against Leon Draisaitl on faceoffs, and to open last night's game against Seattle, the German superstar was laughing while tossed out of the circle.
Last month, Oilers announcers Jack and Louie DeBrusk last raised the debate of Draisaitl's faceoff antics with a joke on the broadcast.
Sure enough, the trend has continued and Leon Draisaitl is well aware of it. After being thrown out of the faceoff for to open last night's game, Draisaitl visibly rolled his head and laughed.
On this particular faceoff, it's pretty clear to see that Draisaitl actually deserved to be tossed out. His stick was on the ice and actually chopping at Beniers before the puck dropped.
Still, Oilers fans who have followed the team have noticed that Draisaitl gets tossed out more than any other player in the league, and many have their doubts.
Are Referees actually biased against Leon Draisaitl in faceoffs?
Even Oilers media members have claimed something fishy about Draisaitl's treatment on the faceoff dot. However, there's absolutely no bias against Draisaitl.
" "I covered hockey for 35+ years. I played at a decent level. I was even also a linesman at one point. I am telling you, something here smells. If I were the Oilers I would be crying foul."- Kurt Leavins, Edmonton Journal
The reality is that Leon Draisaitl is a superstar player who's pretty mediocre on faceoffs - but he's also the Oilers best option for most important draws.
According to StatMuse, Draisaitl has been in the top 10 for faceoffs in the NHL, but is only in the top 20 for win percentage.
It's more likely Draisaitl is cheating a bit on the draws to give himself an a better chance against NHLers who have specialized in faceoffs, rather than referee bias.
Still, the Oilers star is clearly putting up a fight with the referees constantly over the draws. Last season, a mic'd up argument of Draisaitl and a referee showed an up close view of the debate.
Even if he isn't the greatest faceoff man in the league, Draisaitl is still on pace to have an MVP calibre season this year. At the end of the day, goals and assists matter more than faceoff percentage.
