Injured McDavid, Draisaitl unlikely to return to Oilers' lineup this week

Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid, left, and Leon Draisaitl during their team's morning skate on Oct. 22, 2024, before a game against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. (Credit: TSN)

The Edmonton Oilers' two biggest stars will be out of the lineup longer than initially believed.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch said Monday that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are unlikely to play for the Oilers this week, saying McDavid won’t be back at all for the team’s next three games through Sunday.

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“We’ll be playing a couple of games without them, at least, so it’s good for the other (players to) know that they’re going to get some more playing time,” Knoblauch told reporters.

Last week, Knoblauch suggested the team’s perennial two leading scorers would each miss about a week of action.

McDavid appeared to suffer a lower-body injury in the second period of Thursday’s 4-3 OT loss to the Winnipeg Jets and didn’t return to action. Draisaitl last played March 18 against the Utah Hockey Club, in which he appeared to hurt himself after colliding with opposing forward Nick Schmaltz but still finished the game.

Draisaitl is second in National Hockey League scoring this season with 101 points (49 goals and 52 assists in 68 games), while McDavid is fourth with 90 points (26 goals and 64 assists in 63 games.)

Both have won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer in a season, Draisaitl once and McDavid five times.