NHL: Germans in the world's top ice hockey league

The highest-drafted German in the history of the NHL (3rd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2014), the Cologne native is coming off a breakout season in which he scored 50 goals and 105 points. This was by far the best-ever season for a German-trained player in terms of scoring and Draisaitl enters the 2019-20 campaign having been named one of the Oilers' assistant captains.

The netminder, who was never able to get past Braden Holtby in Washington, has truly found a home in Denver since moving to the Avalanche prior to last season. He goes into the campaign having established himself as Colorado's No. 1 goalie during last year's playoffs – while his former rival for the top spot in the Avalanche’s crease, Semyon Varlamov has moved on to the New York Islanders.

The undrafted winger earned his way onto the Chicago Black Hawks' roster out of last year’s training camp, and even saw a considerable amount of ice time alongside star center Jonthan Toews. With 13 goals and 37 points, he also put up pretty good numbers in his rookie season, so it came as something of a surprise when the Hawks dealt him to Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer.

Tom Kühnhackl's first season at the New York Islanders wasn't the easiest, but the two-time Stanley Cup winner (with his former club, Pittsburgh) did earn himself a one-year contract extension. Still, the son of German ice hockey legend Erich Kühnhackl will have to battle for every minute of ice time this season.

Tobias Rieder (left) is coming off a disappointing season in Edmonton that saw him fail to score a single goal and produce just 11 assists in 67 games. Now the forward has moved south to Calgary, where, after a successful preseason, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames.

Thomas Greiss is coming off a strong season with the New York Islanders, when he shared the goaltending duties with Robin Lehner. Now he has another challenger for the top job between the pipes in the form of free-agent signing Semyon Varlamov. Greiss will be hoping for another good season as he enters the last year of his contract with the Isles.

Another undrafted prospect, Lean Bergmann (right) gained the attention of NHL teams in part during last year's World Championship, when he was a member of the German squad that finished sixth. The forward, who had 20 goals in 50 games in his rookie campaign in Germany's top flight, earned an invitation to the San Jose Sharks training camp and managed to stick with the big club to start the season.

Since making his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2010-11 season, Korbinian Holzer has bounced back and forth between the top flight and the AHL. Holzer, who has signed a one-year extension with the Anaheim Ducks, is to start the season on the NHL roster and will be hoping for more than the 22 games he played for the big club in 2018-19.

Drafted No 6 overall by the Detroit Red Wings in June, Moritz Seider is seen as Germany’s most talented player after Leon Draisaitl. Although he is to start the season in the AHL, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has been impressed with how the defenseman has adjusted to the smaller ice surface and the more physical North American game. It shouldn't be long before he makes his NHL debut.