Edmonton Oilers coach Knoblauch gives concerning injury updates on McDavid and Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers will have to endure a few more games without both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
It’s been rough sledding for the Oilers lately, as their two superstars were injured in consecutive games last week. Draisaitl is dealing with an undisclosed injury he suffered against Utah, while McDavid is suffering from a lower-body ailment after a collision with Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey.
Both players were out of the lineup against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, and according to Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, they will be missing more this week.
“They are still gonna be a while,” Knoblauch told reporters after practice this morning. “We will be playing a couple of games without them at least.
“Connor [will not play this week], Leon isn’t day-to-day yet.”
"This little break without having those two, maybe that helps other guys find their game & they're able to step it up… Hopefully they can build a little confidence."
Coach Knoblauch on #Oilers stepping up in the absence of Draisaitl & McDavid.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/4Yssqqd80j
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 24, 2025
So far, the results haven’t been terrible for an Oilers team missing their two best players. Though it got a bit hairy at times, Edmonton still found a way to gut out a win over the Kraken over the weekend.
There have also been a few players stepping up in the absence of the superstars to help carry the load, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner at the top of that list. Nugent-Hopkins told reporters that it’s up to the guys in the dressing room to elevate their game over the next little while.
“I think everybody feels it,” Nugent-Hopkins said this morning. “It’s a chance for everybody to step up and play their game and play a little bit of a different role for certain guys.
“You lose two of the best players in the game, we need to step up and we need to make sure we’re sharp.”
"Making it tough to play against, not giving anything easy to the other team & building our offence from playing solid defensively."
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the #Oilers recent play as they look to round into form for the playoffs.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/aH45YaCqGr
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 24, 2025
Luckily, the Oilers don’t have an extremely difficult schedule at hand this week. The Dallas Stars present the biggest challenge on Wednesday night, but they have a couple of dates with non-playoff teams, including a rematch with the Kraken on Thursday and the Calgary Flames rolling into town on Saturday night.
However, things get much more difficult next week with the Vegas Golden Knights and LA Kings on the docket.
Not having McDavid and Draisaitl in the lineup this week will be another big test for this group, and we’ll see if they can overcome it.