It was a suspected back injury that thwarted Adam Larsson’s ability to play in games three and four for the Edmonton Oilers, reported the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson.

While Larsson struggled mightily in the first two games, his absence made things difficult for the Oilers with the right-shooter going down.

“The one spot where we couldn’t stand an injury was on the right side of our defence,” Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said. “We traded for Mike Green (who subsequently opted out), then Larsson was out and Bear was out (for part of game four).

“That was an area we needed to be solid in.”

Larsson was arguably the Oilers worst defenceman in the play-in round and a bad back could mean trouble for the 27-year-old. Larsson battle back issues in the 2018-19 season and that makes it hard for a defensive defenceman like him.

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