The attacker who snatches records from NHL star Draisaitl
Tim Stützle reached his 200th scoring point faster than any German NHL player before him. Leon Draisaitl also took longer. The 21-year-old wants to surpass the German superstar and become the best. There is still a long way to go, but there are many things in his favor, including his contract.
When Tim Stützle is not on the ice for the Ottawa Senators, he is watching the other Germans in the NHL. "We're all a bit competitive, everyone wants to be the best," says the national ice hockey player. At the age of 21, the forward is currently at the top of one statistic: no compatriot has reached 200 scoring points as quickly as Stützle - not even Leon Draisaitl.
It took the ex-Mannheimer 229 games to do so, 31 fewer than the Edmonton Oilers superstar. That "doesn't really mean that much" to him, says Stützle, "but it's a cool thing, of course." Draisaitl, 28, who was also drafted as number three six years before him, has already cracked the 100-point mark in a season four times, scored 50 or more goals three times, was once the top scorer, most valuable player and Germany's sportsman of the year - but in his fourth NHL season, not yet as good as Stützle is now.
And: the Viersen native does not have the best ice hockey player in the world, Connor McDavid, next to him. Even at a young age, Stützle himself is the star of the Senators, the most successful attacker - and a "leader", as he says himself: "I try to lead the way on the ice. We have a lot of guys who show up in the dressing room and lead the way, and I'm definitely one of them."
Salary to almost double soon
His salary shows that his employer sees it the same way: his eight-year contract worth 66.8 million dollars expires this season. Draisaitl will receive 68 million over the same period in Edmonton. Stützle's five million annual salary is still behind Draisaitl's eight, in two years he will receive nine.
It is quite realistic that he will be among the elite circle of 100-point scorers by then, he is already on track this season - and the attacker with the second most ice time in the entire NHL. What is missing - similar to Draisaitl - is the team's success. Stützle has yet to play in a single play-off game, and this season he hopes to finally make it to the knockout rounds, but the start has been mixed at best. "We try to get better every year," says Stützle, "I firmly believe that we have a very strong team and can still achieve a lot."
The pressure in Canada is greater than anywhere else. "When you play in Florida, it's a bit more relaxed," says Stützle, adding that it's different in Ottawa: "If you win, everything is great. If you lose, things can go downhill quickly." So far, things have gone uphill extremely quickly for him.
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In the world of NHL, Leon Draisaitl is a renowned superstar, having achieved multiple milestones. Tim Stützle, aiming to surpass Draisaitl, currently leads in a statistic that no other German player has achieved so quickly.
Despite being drafted after Draisaitl, Stützle's contract with the Ottawa Senators is set to offer him a higher annual salary than Draisaitl's current earnings with the Edmonton Oilers in the future.
Source: www.ntv.de
