There is some concerning news regarding some of the Edmonton Oilers’ top stars.
Captain Connor McDavid, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and forwards Zach Hyman and Leon Draisait were absent from team practice on Wednesday.
When speaking to the media, head coach Kris Knoblauch stated that he isn’t sure what the lines would look like with those players off the ice. The second-year bench boss mentioned that the quartet was banged up and might not be able to play on Thursday night when the Oilers host the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets.
Knoblauch said he isn’t sure what his lines will be tomorrow as some of the guys who didn’t skate (97, 29, 18 and 14) are banged up and might not play. #Oilers
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) March 19, 2025
It wouldn’t be the first time McDavid has missed time this season. The 27-year-old missed three games earlier in the season after sustaining an ankle injury. Then, he had to sit out three contests while serving a suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland.
McDavid is second on the team in scoring behind Draisaitl, having put up 26 goals and 63 assists for 89 points in 62 appearances. Draisaitl, meanwhile, appeared shaken up during Tuesday’s win over the Utah Hockey Club, but was able to finish the game.
Hyman missed a handful of games in November and December due to an undisclosed ailment. The Toronto native also wasn’t in the lineup this past Sunday when Edmonton defeated the New York Rangers by a score of 3-1. He returned to action on Tuesday night, posting two goals and an assist in a 7-1 thrashing of the Utah Hockey Club.
Hyman has scored 24 goals and 16 assists for 40 points in 62 games.
Ekholm also played against Utah, registering a goal and two assists in the victory. It was the Swede’s first game in two weeks as the veteran blueliner had been battling an illness, leading to him missing six games.
Through 62 games, Ekholm has notched nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points, sitting third on the team in defensive scoring behind Evan Bouchard and the recently acquired Jake Walman.
Draisaitl is one of five players who has played in every game so far this season. The scoring sensation has appeared in 68 games, leading the league in goals (49), just one away from becoming the first player to hit the half-century mark in goals this season. With 101 points, Draisaitl is second in the NHL in scoring behind Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.
The Oilers (40-24-4) are second in the Pacific Division, two points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for first place.
