One of Canada’s remaining stars offered a perspective on the pressure of playing north of the border. Leon Draisaitl, speaking Monday as the Edmonton Oilers prepare for the Western Conference Final, addressed whether the intense environment around Canadian teams creates a unique challenge.

Dallas and Edmonton aren’t exactly geographic rivals, but that doesn’t mean these two teams don’t have a rich history.

The Oilers dispatched the Stars in six games in the Western Conference final last season. Can they improve on that performance this year?

The Edmonton Oilers appear to be getting close to having Mattias Ekholm back in action, as the series versus the Dallas Stars approaches.

McDavid is currently the reigning Conn Smythe winner despite the fact that his Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers in last season’s Stanley Cup final. McDavid was the sixth player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe on a losing team.

Leon Draisaitl is the betting favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP going into the conference finals round of the NHL playoffs, with the Edmonton Oilers eight wins away from the Stanley Cup that has eluded him and Connor McDavid.