The Edmonton Oilers received troubling news regarding star forward Leon Draisaitl. Although they managed a solid 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, the bigger story remains the uncertainty surrounding Draisaitl and his status heading into the playoffs.
Leon Draisaitl’s Playoff Availability in Question
Draisaitl was injured during Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators after a hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt sent him hard into the boards near the bench. He briefly left the ice, returned for a few shifts. But didn’t come back for the second period.
Early signs suggested the injury might not be serious, with head coach Kris Knoblauch initially saying there were no major “red flags”. However, the situation quickly became more concerning when the team later ruled Draisaitl out for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury.
That update raised immediate questions about his availability for the playoffs, and for now, there are no clear answers. “Right now, the timeline we’re using is the end of the regular season. Once the playoffs start, then we’ll reevaluate, and that’s where we’re at,” Knoblauch said after Tuesday’s game.
In other words, his return is far from guaranteed, even for Game 1 of Round 1.
Oilers Looking To Stay Afloat
For now, Edmonton must find a way to manage without one of the league’s top players over their final 13 games. The team currently sits second in the Pacific Division with a 34-26-9 record, but Draisaitl’s absence could test their depth.
When he’s out of the lineup since 2015, the team basically falls from a solid playoff pace (0.580 PTS%) down to a lottery-bound level (0.453 PTS%). They also lose nearly 0.7 goals per game, which is a huge chunk of offense to replace.
The most brutal part, though, is that 7.1% drop on the power play. For a team that leans as hard on its special teams as the Oilers do, that kind of dip is statistically devastating.
Still, there were positives in the win over San Jose, where a balanced attack saw 13 different players register at least a point, an encouraging sign moving forward.
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Zach Hyman acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that while injuries are part of the game. “There’s a lot of divisional games and you’re missing one of the best players in the world. Nobody is just going to come in and replace him. Every line, every player has to play a little bit better and collectively as a group. When you do that, you play better as a team.”
Edmonton now turns its attention to its next test against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, hoping to stay on track while waiting for clarity on their superstar’s return.
