The Edmonton Oilers are facing a serious injury crisis just as the NHL playoffs approach, with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both expected to miss up to a week of action.
It’s a tough blow for the Oilers, who’ll take on the Seattle Kraken Saturday night without their two best players.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch isn’t taking any chances with his stars’ health. “Connor’s got a doctor’s appointment today to see how long he’s going to be, and we’re not anticipating him playing tomorrow for sure,” he told NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest.
Both McDavid and Draisaitl are likely looking at similar recovery timelines – somewhere around a week.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Edmonton, as they’re trying to lock down their playoff position in the Western Conference.
But Knoblauch is playing it smart. “The playoffs are very important, and pushing guys that are injured to make themselves worse is not ideal,” he explained. He added that even early in the season, they wouldn’t risk making injuries worse by rushing players back.
The injury bug hasn’t stopped there.
Trade deadline acquisition Trent Frederic, who came over from the Boston Bruins, still hasn’t suited up for his first game in Oilers colors. Now it looks like fans will have to wait even longer to see him in action.
The latest reports suggest Frederic will be out for at least another two weeks, possibly not returning until the playoffs begin.
It’s a challenging situation for an Oilers team that’s been one of the NHL’s hottest squads this season. They’ll need their depth players to step up big time while their stars heal.
