When Leon Draisaitl took to the ice for two shifts late in the first period of Sunday’s Edmonton Oilers game against the Nashville Predators, there were “no red flags” as the centre tested out an injury, head coach Kris Knoblauch said.

The German was shaken up earlier in the game, moments after scoring the opening goal on the power play, when Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt hit him awkwardly into the boards. Draisaitl came up limp, and hobbled down the tunnel to the Oilers locker room.

The Oilers had a quick response, as Vasily Podkolzin went after Wiesblatt, only to fight defenceman Nic Hague instead.

“He got checked out, didn’t feel right… felt like he could play on it,” said Knoblauch after the Oilers held on for a 3-1 win. “The medical staff looked at him, and they were comfortable with him trying it out.

“He went out, and he just didn’t feel quite right. The fact the medical staff said ‘it didn’t seem too bad, no immediate red flags,’ tell me it shouldn’t be a really long injury. There might be some time off, but we’ll find out later.”

The Oilers’ response to Wiesblatt’s hit didn’t end there, as others took runs at him. Most notably, Trent Frederic hit him along the boards, then threw him to the ice shortly thereafter. Despite Edmonton taking four penalties in the game, they successfully killed all of them off.

Knoblauch was impressed with the Oilers’ ability to kill those penalties.

“I don’t mind having to kill those,” he said. “You’re sticking up for your team and you don’t want to take it too often, but if you never take those kind of penalties, you probably have a pretty disconnected team.

“Sometimes, as painful as it is, as sometimes it bites you, for your team, you need some of that throughout the season.”

Draisaitl’s never been one to miss much time due to injury. Beyond his rookie season where he played 37 games before being returned to the Western Hockey League, the fewest games he’s played in a non-COVID-shortened season was last season, when he played in 64 games, missing 18.

He notably played through a vicious high-ankle sprain in the 2022 playoffs after being injured by Los Angeles Kings defenceman Mikey Anderson. Draisaitl would play in all 16 of the Oilers’ playoff games that year, scoring seven goals and a playoff-leading 25 assists for 32 points.

Draisaitl has appeared in 65 games for the Oilers this season, scoring 35 goals and 97 points.

The Oilers continue a four-game homestand Tuesday night, welcoming the San Jose Sharks, before hosting the Florida Panthers Thursday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

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.