Oilers announcer gives his frank opinion on Leon Draisaitl besting Auston Matthews in Top 5 players ranking this season

Edmonton Oilers announcer Jack Michaels has provided his frank opinion on Leon Draisaitl besting Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews in the NHL's top five best players rankings this season.

There's been a long debate among fans and analysts about who's the best between Draisaitl and Matthews. Some argue that Draisaitl is by far the best among the two and even rank him among the top three in the league right now.

According to Michaels, Leon Draisaitl should be seriously considered for the Hart and Selke trophies. He highlighted his dominance for the Oilers and his overall performance as one of the top three players in the league.

"I don’t think he’s the favorite for the Hart Trophy, but he’s certainly one of the top three contenders. What’s even more intriguing to me is whether he has a shot at winning both the Hart and the Selke. He might not win either, but he absolutely deserves serious consideration," said Michaels during a Sportsnet segment (6:00).

He made his stance very clear on any argument favoring Auston Matthews, reiterating that Draisaitl has solidified his position as the third-best player playing in the league right now. The Oilers announcer sees Cale Makar as a clear four but reckons that Draisaitl surpasses all other contenders for that position.

"And I’ll say this—I have Cale Makar as a clear number four in that mix. But beyond that, Draisaitl has surpassed some of the "contenders" for that position. Frankly, I don’t want to hear the "Auston Matthews" (argument). Leon Draisaitl has firmly established himself as, at worst, the third-best player in the world on any given day," Michaels added.

Leon Draisaitl outpaces Auston Matthews in statistical dominance

Leon Draisaitl continues to dominate the NHL and is leading the league in goals with 44 and ranking second in points with 90. In contrast, Auston Matthews has fallen short of his usual scoring prowess, failing to even crack the top ten in points and goals this season.

According to ESPN, Matthews is currently ranked 41st in player skating stats with 52 points through 22 goals and 30 assists.

While individual performance can vary, Draisaitl is statistically way ahead of Matthews this season. Thus it is no surprise that Draisaitl is also among the heavy favorites to win the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point scorer this season.