The Edmonton Oilers are starting to heat up at exactly the right time, and the potential return of Leon Draisaitl only adds to the growing optimism.
After a disciplined 3-0 shutout win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, the Oilers extended their winning streak to four games as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division. With momentum on their side, the focus now shifts to when Draisaitl could make his way back into the lineup.
When Could Leon Draisaitl Return to the Oilers?
Leon Draisaitl recently returned to Edmonton after spending time in Germany recovering from an injury sustained during last month’s 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. The Oilers star was driven hard into the boards by Ozzy Wiesblatt near the bench in a collision that immediately raised concerns.
What initially appeared minor quickly turned more serious, and the Oilers eventually ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season. To aid his recovery, Draisaitl traveled to Munich for treatment with renowned sports physician Hans Wilhelm Müller Wohlfahrt, who has worked with elite athletes including Auston Matthews.
Now back in Edmonton and spotted at Rogers Place during the shutout win, Draisaitl has sparked hope that he could return sooner than expected.
Even without one of their most important players, Edmonton is finally finding consistency. The four-game winning streak marks their best stretch of the season, with contributions coming from across the lineup.
“You’re never going to replace a guy like that… He’s a special guy, but as you said, we need it this time of year. We need to find ways to get wins in a weird kind of division here. We’ve got to punch our ticket to the dance. Everybody’s stepping up, as you said,” Connor McDavid said after Saturday’s win over Anaheim.
That collective effort was on full display against Seattle.
In the game, Max Jones opened the scoring at 5:28 of the first after a point shot from Jake Walman deflected off his helmet and past Philipp Grubauer. Kasperi Kapanen made it 2-0 at 12:43, forcing a turnover and finishing a 2-on-1 rush with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Connor McDavid added an empty-netter at 17:34 to seal the 3-0 win and extend his goal streak to five games, while Connor Ingram stopped 27 shots for the shutout.
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Head coach Kris Knoblauch emphasized that Edmonton’s recent success isn’t about flash.
“Our game isn’t sexy right now, it’s not fancy,” Knoblauch said. “It’s just a lot of little things, and that’s usually the difference between winning and losing. We have six ‘D’ and 12 forwards each night who are doing it.”
The Oilers will try to keep the momentum rolling when they face the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
