The Edmonton Oilers did pretty well without Leon Draisaitl against the Vancouver Canucks. They won 6-0, looked dominant, and made it seem like maybe life without their second-best player isn’t the disaster everyone thought it would be.

Sure, those were the Canucks — a team looking for draft picks instead of wins. But a 6-0 win is a 6-0 win. The Oilers controlled the game, got contributions from multiple players, and showed they can still function without Draisaitl in the lineup.

Tonight’s opponent is the St. Louis Blues. They’re sixth in the Central Division. They’re not amazing, but they’re a legitimate NHL team with structure and capable players. This is the real test. Can the Oilers maintain their success against a team that’s actually trying to win?

So far, the answer seems to be: maybe, yeah.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as the second-line centre, is working out pretty well. He’s smart, responsible, and capable of creating offence when given the opportunity. He’s not Draisaitl — nobody is — but he’s proving he can handle the role without the team falling apart and then some.

The bigger question is who plays with him. Trent Frederic on the second line isn’t ideal. He was supposed to bring energy and physicality to the bottom six, but that hasn’t really happened. Now he’s being asked to fill a top-six spot he probably shouldn’t be in. That’s where things get shaky.

But here’s the thing: the Oilers are managing.

Is it sustainable long-term? Probably not. Draisaitl is a generational talent, and you can’t replace that. But for a few games? The Oilers are proving they can handle it better than expected.

The 6-0 win over Vancouver was encouraging, even if it came against a weak opponent. It showed the Oilers have depth scoring capabilities when they need them. It showed they can still dominate games without relying exclusively on Draisaitl and McDavid. It showed this team has more resilience than people give them credit for.

Tonight against St. Louis will be more revealing. The Blues aren’t going to roll over like Vancouver did. They’re going to test the Oilers’ depth, challenge their structure, and force them to earn every inch of ice. If Edmonton can win this one convincingly, the “life without Draisaitl” narrative changes completely.

Thankfully, this won’t last long. Draisaitl’s personal leave isn’t expected to be lengthy. He’ll be back soon, and when he returns, the Oilers will go back to having two centers who can take over games. Until then, they’re proving they can survive without him.

Life without Leon Draisaitl? It’s not so bad, actually. The Oilers are managing just fine. Would they rather have him in the lineup? Obviously. But they’re not falling apart without him.

And really, that’s all you can ask for when you lose a player of Draisaitl’s calibre. The Oilers are staying competitive, staying in the race, and proving they can weather adversity. When Draisaitl comes back, they’ll be even better. But until then? They’re doing just fine.