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.

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.

Don Cherry Issues Connor McDavid Message to Oilers Fans

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is one of the best active players in the NHL but he missed Saturday’s game and his return to the ice following Thursday’s injury is still unclear. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman provided an update on McDavid’s and Leon Draisaitl’s injuries on Saturday, saying “the word at this point” is that the Oilers have “no worries that these are long-term ailments that will threaten their playoff availability in any way.”

NHL legend Don Cherry shared his thoughts on McDavid’s injury on his “Gravepine Podcast,” delivering a clear message to Oilers fans worried about those injuries, pretty much echoing Friedman’s report. “McDavid and Draisaitl-they take the week off,” Cherry said. “No, not (concerned) at all. They’re still practicing, doing everything the same. “No, don’t panic. If they were fighting for a playoff spot, they’d probably be playing.” Cherry dismissed concerns about the recent injuries to the Oilers’ two stars, emphasizing that both are taking a short break and could play if playoff positioning were at stake. McDavid suffered his lower-body injury during Thursday’s overtime loss to the Jets after colliding with Josh Morrissey. Draisaitl missed the game against the Jets with an undisclosed injury suffered two nights earlier in a 7–1 win over Utah.