We’ve got some news on the injury front for the Edmonton Oilers.
When speaking to the media after the team’s morning skate on Wednesday, head coach Kris Knoblauch stated that captain Connor McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl will be out of the lineup on Wednesday when the Oilers take on the St. Louis Blues.
Also, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is out of the lineup with an illness.
RNH is out with illness.
Skinner skated and is feeling good. Won’t play tonight but sounds like he will be available Friday to dress.
McDavid and Draisaitl out tonight. Knoblauch says a few days to a week before they return.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) April 9, 2025
This isn’t the first time an illness has taken Nugent-Hopkins out of game action. He missed one game back in December due to a sickness. That has been the only game the former first-overall pick has missed this year. Nugent-Hopkins has notched 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points in 76 games, placing him fourth on the team in scoring.
Knoblauch admitted that it could be anywhere from a few days to a week before both McDavid or Drasaitl return to the lineup. The team is also without goaltender Stuart Skinner, forward Trent Frederic and defenceman Mattias Ekholom, all listed as day-to-day. Yet, Knoblauch stated that everyone will be back in the lineup by the end of the regular season.
McDavid has been out of action since suffering an injury on March 20 against the Winnipeg Jets. He’s been recently skating with the team, seemingly closing in on a potential return. He’s missed the last eight games, in which the Oilers have gone 4-4-0 over that span.
Despite having missed 14 games this season due to injuries and a suspension, McDavid is still second on the team in scoring, scoring 26 goals and 64 assists for 90 points in 63 games.
Draisaitl has been in and out of the lineup for the past month. After missing four games in March, he returned to notch his 50th goal of the season against the Calgary Flames. However, another undisclosed injury against the San Jose Sharks last Friday has taken the German star out of action once again.
Draisaitl leads the NHL in goals (52) and is third in points (106) behind Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon (116) and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (115).
Knoblauch also mentioned that Skinner continues to skate and is feeling good. There are hopes that he could make a start sometime this week.
Edmonton can clinch a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win over the Blues and the Flames losing in regulation to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Oilers (44-28-5) sit third in the Pacific Division, four points behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings, and 10 back of the Vegas Golden Knights for first.
