The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that Leon Draisaitl will miss the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury, a crushing blow to their playoff push with just 14 games remaining.
The team released an official statement confirming Draisaitl’s extended absence after initially suggesting the injury wasn’t serious. The 30-year-old star is expected to be re-evaluated closer to the postseason leaving Edmonton without its second-leading scorer through April 16.
“Leon Draisaitl sustained a lower-body injury during Sunday’s game against Nashville and will be out for the remainder of the regular season,” the Oilers said in their statement. “His status will be updated prior to the start of the playoffs.”
Leon Draisaitl got injured Sunday against Predators
Draisaitl was injured in the first period of Sunday’s game when Nashville forward Ozzy Wiesblatt delivered a hard hit along the boards at 4:20 of the opening frame. The collision came just over a minute after Draisaitl had scored his 35th goal of the season on the power play.
The German center briefly returned for two more shifts before heading to the locker room for good. He did not return for the second period and the team listed him as out with a lower-body injury.
Initial assessments were cautiously optimistic. Head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Sunday night that medical staff saw “no immediate red flags” and didn’t expect “a really long injury.”
That optimism evaporated quickly. By Monday, Knoblauch acknowledged Draisaitl would miss “some time” but couldn’t provide specifics. Tuesday’s announcement confirmed the worst-case scenario in a six-week absence that strips Edmonton of its most dangerous offensive weapon not named Connor McDavid.
Massive void in Oilers lineup
Draisaitl ranks fourth in NHL scoring with 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 games this season so far. He was on fire entering Sunday’s contest riding a nine-game point streak with 6 goals and 11 assists over that span.
The loss creates an impossible hole to fill. Draisaitl is the backbone of Edmonton’s power play, the safety valve when defenses key on McDavid and the second superstar that makes the Oilers’ top six elite.
Now that responsibility falls entirely on McDavid’s shoulders. The captain leads the league with 114 points but will be asked to carry an even heavier load over the final month without his longtime running mate.
The timing couldn’t be worse as well. Edmonton sits third in the Pacific Division with a 33-26-9 record and 75 points just one point behind Vegas and two back of Anaheim. With Calgary and Seattle lurking in the wild-card hunt, the Oilers have zero margin for error.
Fourteen games is enough time to slide completely out of playoff position without a player of Draisaitl’s caliber. Edmonton must now lean on depth forwards like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman while hoping Evan Bouchard can generate even more offense from the blue line.
