According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, Connor McDavid looks set to dress for the Edmonton Oilers tonight for the first time following an eight-game absence, as they host the St. Louis Blues.
Big change from what we were told this morning. Knoblauch said he was day to day to a week. Sounds like he’ll be in warmup and could go as CJ suggests.
Oilers are far from comfortable with positioning at the moment, and McDavid looked good at skate today. Delicate balance… https://t.co/TsVX9EtJJJ
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) April 9, 2025
While it was first reported by Johnston, there were some conflicting reports that followed, stating that it hadn’t been officially confirmed, and that the Oilers captain needed to “convince a few people first,” even though he himself feels ready to play, per Tom Gazzola.
Sounds like he has to convince a few people first – but if it was up to him, he'd be in tonight. https://t.co/fUu4EnuIQg
— Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) April 9, 2025
As game time approaches, it’s looking like McDavid will be making his return to the ice after all, with TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reporting “he’ll be in warmup and could go,” despite Knoblauch saying he was “day-to-day to a week” earlier on Wednesday.
McDavid hasn’t played since March 20th when he exited a game against the Winnipeg Jets with an apparent injury. The timeline on his return has been semi-unclear, though it was previously stated to be before the end of the regular season. Despite suffering a couple injuries this year and enduring a suspension, he is second on the team in points with 90 and leads the assists column with 64, good for ninth and sixth in the league in those categories, respectively. His return to the lineup would be an immense boost for the injury plagued team, currently missing some big names including Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Stuart Skinner.
In the absence of their captain, the Oilers have gone 4-4-0 and sit third in the Pacific division with 93 points. With five games remaining in their regular season schedule, they don’t have much to fight for now except for home ice, though they currently sit four points back from the LA Kings who also hold the tie-breaker.
At the same time, with a number of injured Oilers returning to the lineup only to go out again, there have been questions posed of Edmonton’s medical team in recent weeks. Though GM Stan Bowman stood by his team, saying that reinjuries are a “part of sports,” and that very specific protocols were being followed for each players’ return. Nevertheless, when McDavid takes to the ice, there will certainly be concern about keeping him healthy for the upcoming postseason.
Edmonton Wednesday takes on a Blues team that has been red hot as of late, but lost their first game in 13 on Monday to the Winnipeg Jets. St. Louis is now looking to hold on to the first wild card spot above the Minnesota Wild, who trail by two points.
Puck drops at 8pm tonight from Rogers Place.
