Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl scored his 29th goal in the first five minute of a game in a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Draisaitl is expected to be a core piece for the Oilers for the foreseeable future. He signed an eight-year, $112 million contract ($14 million average annual value) starting next season and is currently in the final season of an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) signed prior to the 2017-2018 season.

Jan 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates his empty net goal scored in the third period against the Florida Panthers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisailt leads a talented field of NHL elite in the race for this season's Hart Trophy, highlighting his value to the team and league

The Edmonton Oilers are in town for a Western Conference matchup as the Colorado Avalanche continue their five-game homestand. The Oilers will play their second game of a back-to-back tonight after taking a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Leon Draisaitl & Zach Hyman recorded three points apiece on Thursday night as the Oilers earned retribution against the Canucks with a 6-2 victory over their Pacific Division rivals at Rogers Place

Connor McDavid will lead the Edmonton Oilers against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, Denver in back-to-back games after playing the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

The top unit of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Hyman are still spearheading a sharp unit as the Oilers rank No. 8 overall in power-play efficiency, but they ended last season at No. 4.

The clock is ticking on the Colorado Avalanche and star forward Mikko Rantanen to come to an agreement on a contract extension. With the 28-year-old set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2024-25, the Avalanche really have from now until the March 7 trade deadline to decide on Rantanen's long-term future with the club.

Draisaitl's elite production has led the Oilers to a top-five position in the NHL standings and he is firmly in the mix to take home his second Hart Trophy. Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Draisaitl has the third-best odds to win the award at +320. Only Nathan MacKinnon at +280 and his Oilers teammate Connor McDavid at +300 have shorter odds.

Nathan MacKinnon has the inside track on his second-straight Hart Trophy winner. Here are four other names to watch in the NHL's MVP race.

This is the obvious one. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 68 points, seven more than Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl in second place. Also of note, he’s first in points per game at 1.58, narrowly ahead of the Art Ross winner last season, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov at 1.57.