Edmonton Oilers coach gives positive injury update on Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers got the victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night, but it came at a cost.
It was a big 3-1 win at Rogers Place in front of an anxious crowd of Oilers fans, but they had to do it largely without Leon Draisaitl. The German superstar opened the scoring early in the first period with a power-play marker, but went down the tunnel a few shifts later after taking a hit from Nashville’s Ozzy Wiesblatt.
Here was the hit by Ozzy Wiesblatt that apparently knocked Leon Draisaitl out of the game.
At least 3-4 Oilers players have gone after Wiesblatt for what appears to be a legal hit. pic.twitter.com/vGxiybYSQx
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) March 16, 2026
Draisaitl attempted to return with a few shifts but wound up leaving the game after the first period. So, how serious was the issue? Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch gave a bit of a positive-sounding update on the 30-year-old’s condition after the game.
“He got checked out, felt like he could play on it. The medical staff looked at him, and they were comfortable with him trying it out,” Knoblauch said. “He went, and he just didn’t feel quite right.
“The fact that the medical staff said it doesn’t seem too bad, no immediate red flags, tells me it shouldn’t be a really long injury. There might be some time off, but we’ll find out later.”
āI thought overall it was a pretty good game for us.ā
Coach Knoblauch provides updates & commentary following the #Oilers 3-1 win over the Predators at @RogersPlace. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/40v0r7Y67J
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 16, 2026
That seems like the best-case scenario for the Oilers, as they try to make one final push to solidify their playoff positioning over the next couple of weeks. Losing Draisaitl for any extended period of time would be a tough pill to swallow for this group.
Knoblauch mentioned that there could be some lineup shuffling if Draisaitl misses a game or two later this week. It sounds like Matt Savoie, who got his 11th goal of the season on Sunday, will likely remain with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
“I don’t see any reason to move [Savoie] right now, he’s playing really well and they’re creating a lot of offence, so that line will stay intact for a while,” Knoblauch said.
It sounds like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins may be the guy that slides back to centre if Draisaitl misses anytime.
That wouldn’t be ideal, as he looked great on the third line with Jason Dickinson and Jack Roslovic against the Predators, but it would be a necessity with Draisaitl out. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.
The victory moved the Oilers up to 75 points on the season, which is one behind the second-place Vegas Golden Knights and two behind the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks. It’s also four up on the Seattle Kraken, who occupy the second wild card, and five up on the San Jose Sharks, who remain just outside the playoff cut line.
Things are bound to get chaotic over the next several weeks, and the Oilers will be hoping Draisaitl is ready and healthy to make sure they keep pace in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.