The Edmonton Oilers will be without their top two players on Saturday and beyond as the defending Western Conference champions seek playoff positioning.
Coach Kris Knoblauch said center Connor McDavid is seeing a doctor Friday after he left Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets with an injury. He said the three-time MVP could miss ‘maybe a week,’ depending on what tests show.
But Knoblauch said goalie Stuart Skinner is fine after being pulled by a concussion spotter Thursday after a collision in the crease.
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl injury update
McDavid didn’t come out for the third period Thursday night after he appeared to catch a stick from Josh Morrissey as he skated around the Jets defenseman.
Knoblauch said doctors determined Draisaitl’s undisclosed injury was ‘more than they anticipated,’ so he sat out Thursday. Both Draisaitl and McDavid had played through injuries before.
‘We want to be healthy going into the playoffs,’ Knoblauch said. ‘We certainly don’t want to be pushing these guys, but we also know that if this were Game 5 or 6 (of the season), we’re still not pushing them and having them play.’
The coach said the team has 12 available forwards, and tight cap space would make it impossible to call up a replacement except on an emergency basis.
Connor McDavid stats
McDavid ranks fourth in the league with 90 points. He has 26 goals and 64 assists.
Leon Draisaitl stats
Draisaitl leads the league with 49 goals and is second with 101 points.
Edmonton Oilers upcoming schedule
The Oilers are second in the Pacific Division, three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights and two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, who have played two fewer games.
Edmonton plays the Seattle Kraken twice and the Dallas Stars once in the next week. They visit the Golden Knights on April 1, by which time both stars could be back.