It’s been another stellar month for Edmonton Oilers alternate captain Leon Draisaitl, as he continues to find the back of the net, make highlight reel plays, and play strong two-way hockey.

Now, he’s being recognized as the NHL’s Third Star of the Month for February, with 12 points across eight games played. This includes an ongoing seven-game goal streak highlighted by a multi-goal effort against the Colorado Avalanche before the 4 Nations break, which tail-ended a three-game streak of two-point games.

Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel were named first and second stars, respectively.

Draisaitl currently leads the league in goals with 44, a considerable margin ahead of Toronto’s William Nylander, who sits second with 34. If he is able to hold on to that lead, he is poised to pick up his first Rocket Richard trophy. The German forward is also second in points with 88, just behind MacKinnon’s 91, and tied for second in points in the month of February.

Last September, Draisaitl signed an eight-year contract extension with the Oilers valued at $112 million or $14 million AAV, the highest number at which an NHL player has ever signed. Even with this new money burning a hole in his pocket, he is showing no signs of slowing down and settling in with his cashflow set through the 2032-2033 season. Instead, now in his eleventh season with the franchise, he is showing up on a nightly basis and proving he is worth every last penny.

There may be some additional drive for Draisaitl to perform at his finest right now too. Despite being a league leader in goals and points, Draisaitl was not part of the NHL’s “best-on-best” 4 Nations Face-Off last month, as his native Germany was not featured in the tournament. This may have worked out in favour of the Oilers, as he is one of their leaders in TOI/game, and was finally given an opportunity to rest up and reset, as Edmonton look to finish the season strong ahead of another potential Stanley Cup run this spring.

Meanwhile, German fans are anxiously waiting for the chance to watch their national star in best-on-best action early next year, when NHL players are set to make their return to the Winter Olympics in Milan.