Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl is in Germany receiving treatment for a lower-body injury, and is hopeful to return to the lineup “soon.”

In an interview with Sky News’ Michael Leopold, Draisaitl revealed he will remain in Munich until next Tuesday. When asked if he’ll be ready to return to the Oilers’ lineup in time for the playoffs, Draisaitl was somewhat coy.

“I hope so – that’s the plan, which is why I’m here right now,” he said. “It’ll certainly take a few weeks, that’s for sure, but I hope we can keep playing long enough for me to be able to step in and help out at some point.”

A tweet from Sky News’ Ben Heckner, which revealed the interview, indicated Draisaitl is receiving treatment from “well-known sports doctor” Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.

Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt worked as the long-time team physician of FC Bayern Munich for 41 years, and runs his own sports medicine practice. In his biography on his the clinic’s website, he’s described as relying “on his sense of touch in his diagnoses,” and that “when treating his patients, he uses only biological and homeopathic substances.”

A 2011 article from ESPN’s Mike Fish described Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt as a celebrity sports doctor who “ranks as either the greatest healer since Hippocrates or is a quack with a hyperactive syringe.”

“Müller-Wohlfahrt isn’t an ordinary doctor, and his treatment methods at first blush sound dangerously primitive,” wrote Fish. “Though conventionally trained in medicine and orthopedics, he practices a unique mixture of homeopathic medicine — treatment with natural substances — and acupuncture.

“The lifeblood of his treatments is what Müller-Wohlfahrt calls ‘infiltrations,’ in which homeopathic preparations and other substances are injected into the injury site: exotic stuff like Actovegin, an amino acid preparation derived from calves’ blood, and lubricating substances containing purified hyaluronic acid and antioxidants.”

Actovegin has not been approved for any use in Canada, or the United States, and while available in Europe, is not on the IOC banned substance list, nor the NHL’s banned substance list, according to The Toronto Sun. There’s no evidence to suggest that Draisaitl is receiving such treatment in Germany.

Müller-Wohlfahrt treated Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews in Germany in November 2024, according to the Toronto Sun, and has treated other sports stars like Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, and Tiger Woods, as well as celebrities like Bono.

Draisaitl was injured in last Sunday’s game against the Nashville Predators when forward Ozzy Wiesblatt laid a seemingly inncouous hit on him along the boards. Draisaitl left the ice, limping down the tunnel, and while he returned for two shifts later in the first period, which Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said revealed “no immediate red flags,” he was shut down for the remainder of the regular season days later.

The Oilers enter Sunday’s NHL slate holding onto second place in the Pacific Divison.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.