Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are set to be sidelined for longer than expected – Source: Imagn
The Edmonton Oilers will remain without superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for at least the next week.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch made the announcement after practice while addressing the media on Monday. He said that both players are expected to miss at least a week, which would mean three game absences at a minimum.
Draisaitl (undisclosed) was injured in an awkward collision during the Oilers 7-1 win over Utah on March 18, while McDavid (lower body) suffered his injury the following game taking a jab from Josh Morrissey in the second period of their 4-3 overtime loss to Winnipeg on March 20.
Jason Gregor of Daily Faceoff shared the injury updates on X (formerly Twitter).
“McDavid and Draisaitl unlikely to play any of the three games this week,” Gregor wrote on X.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were both putting up big numbers in 2024-25. McDavid had produced 90 points (26 goals, 64 assists) in 63 games played, while Draisaitl had racked up 101 points (49 goals, 52 assists) in 68 games.
They rank second and fourth respectively among the league leaders in point scoring. Edmonton has nine regular-season games left on the schedule after this week, where McDavid and Draisaitl could look to return and add to their numbers.
The Oilers won their first game without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers managed to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Saturday night in their first game of the season without both McDavid and Draisaitl.
Edmonton got big contributions from others, particularly Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who recorded his fourth career hat-trick, while Jeff Skinner and Adam Henrique also scored en route to victory.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s absences are like no other. Both are consensus top five players in the NHL and are irreplaceable to the Oilers, so they’ll need Nugent-Hopkins and others to continue to step up until they return.
Edmonton will face the Stars, Kraken, and Flames in their next three games without their two superstars. With a 41-24-5 record and 87 points, they’re currently tied with the LA Kings (87 points) for the second seed in the Pacific division.
The Oilers are back in action without McDavid and Draisaitl on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars. The puck drops at 10 p.m. EST at Rogers Place.
