Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Injury Timelines Revealed by NHL Insider
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman provided an update on the injury status of Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl before the Oilers’ 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken. Speaking on Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” segment, Friedman said the team does not expect either player to miss any time in the playoffs.
“Well, the word at this point in time is that there are no worries that these are long-term ailments that will threaten their playoff availability in any way,” Friedman said. “As of today, it appears likely that Leon Draisaitl’s timeline is ahead of Connor McDavid’s.
“But I have been warned that McDavid has blown past injury timelines before.” McDavid suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday’s overtime loss to the Jets after a collision with Josh Morrissey and did not return for the third period. Another Saturday Headlines, with @FriedgeHNIC. pic.twitter.com/BCm5wSkmUI — Sportsnet
(@Sportsnet) March 23, 2025 Draisaitl already missed the game against the Jets as he was injured two nights earlier in a 7–1 win over Utah and has now missed two games. Saturday marked the first time both have missed a game due to injury on the same night since becoming teammates in 2015, per The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday that both players are “probably up to a week” away from returning. He confirmed the pair underwent MRIs and emphasized the club won’t rush them back.
“Even if it was game 5 or 6 (of a playoff series), we wouldn’t want to put somebody in a position where they’re going to make themselves worse who had a nagging injury,” Knoblauch said.
McDavid has 90 points (26 goals and 64 assists) in 63 games this season, while Draisaitl leads the league with 49 goals and ranks second with 101 points (52 assists) in 68 appearances. The Oilers (41-24-5 and 87 points) are currently second in the Pacific Division, trailing the Vegas Golden Knights by three points and having one more game played than the division leaders.
Oilers Coach Sheds Light on Connor McDavid & Leon Draisaitl Injury Status
The Edmonton Oilers will be without both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for a few games, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Friday while providing a return timeline.
Knoblauch ruled the pair out of Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken and said they are “probably up to a week” away from returning. McDavid left Thursday’s 4–3 overtime loss to Winnipeg after two periods following a collision with Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey.
Draisaitl, meanwhile, missed that game with an undisclosed issue picked up in Tuesday’s 7–1 win over Utah. Knoblauch also confirmed the pair was undergoing an MRI on Friday, as initially reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Coach Knoblauch met with the media following today’s #Oilers practice to provide injury updates on multiple players including McDavid & Draisaitl, as well as discuss potential call-ups, Kane returning to practice & more.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/PFEHTxBJ4g
I don’t think they would [be able to play today],” Knoblauch said. “We want to be 100 percent, we want to be healthy going into playoffs and we certainly don’t want to be pushing these guys.”
McDavid has 90 points in 63 games this season. Draisaitl leads the NHL with 49 goals and sits second in points with 101 in 68 games. Saturday will be the first time both superstars have been unavailable in the same game due to injuries since they became teammates in the 2015-16 season, per The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman.
Meanwhile, goaltender Stuart Skinner, who was pulled late Thursday by a concussion spotter, avoided injury and is available for Saturday’s game after clearing the concussion protocol. Edmonton (40–24–5) remains second in the Pacific Division with 85 points in 69 games and 13 to play, trailing the Vegas Golden Knights by three points and leading the Los Angeles Kings by two-though Los Angeles holds one game in hand.
