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Leon Draisaitl

Evening Notes: Markstrom, Willander, Mancini, NHL Top 10

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The New Jersey Devils could be the next team to extend their starting goaltender. On the heels of a five-year, $34MM contract extension for Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, the Devils are now working out a new deal for Jacob Markstrom, per The Fourth Period. Markstrom is entering the final year of a six-year, $36MM contract originally signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020.

Markstrom earned a second-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting on the second year of his last contract, after posting 37 wins and a .922 save percentage in 63 games of the Flames’ 2021-22 season. He fell drastically in 2022, landing at a .895 save percentage in 59 games with Calgary, and only rebounded to a .905 in 48 games of 2023-24. That prompted a summer trade to greener pastures, landing Markstrom with a playoff contender in the New Jersey Devils. He posted a middling .900 save percentage in 49 games of his first season with the Devils. That’s far from the .910 mark that Markstrom routinely challenged at his peak, but on a well-rounded Devils squad, average numbers from the aging veteran have proven supportive enough. He is sure to take a big hit on both term and salary in his next contract, which could take him through the rest of his career.

Other notes from across the league:

  • The Vancouver Canucks made a pair of important decisions earlier today. They have assigned top defense prospects Tom Willander and Victor Mancini to the minor-leagues, after both clung to the camp roster to nearly the final day. Mancini played his first full season in the pros last year. It was certainly eventful, spread between NHL and AHL ice time with the New York Rangers and Canucks, and ending with a Calder Cup win with the Abbotsford Canucks. In total, he recorded eight points in 31 NHL games and 21 points in 54 AHL games on the season. Meanwhile, Tom Willander was a core piece of the National Championship runner-up, the Boston University Terriers. He posted 24 points in 39 games with the club – one point fewer, in one game more, than he managed in his freshman season. Willander is nonetheless a pillar of consistency on both ends of the ice, and will look to prove that soon with his pro debut in Abbotsford.
  • The NHL has announced their top-10 players, wrapping up their Top 50 Players series just two days before Opening Night. The list is, of course, headlined by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. His teammate, Leon Draisaitl, holds the third spot, while Colorado Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar hold #2 and #4 respectively. The rest of the list includes, in turn: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Jets goalie and reigning MVP Connor Hellebuyck, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. It’s hard to argue any other names should be featured on the list, though Panthers fans may feel salt in the wound seeing their captain, and perennial Selke Trophy candidate, landing in the top-10 on the heels of a season-ending injury.

NHL Announces 2024-25 All-Star Teams

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Shortly after announcing this year’s All-Rookie Team, the NHL shared this year’s First and Second All-Star Teams. There are few surprises, with several of the recipients receiving votes for major awards around the league. The teams are as follows:

First Team

LW Kyle Connor (Jets) – Connor arguably completed the best season of his career, scoring 41 goals and 97 points, barely eclipsing his 93-point campaign in 2021-22 (although he did score 46 goals). Being the offensive leader for the Presidents Trophy-winning team made him a lock for All-Star Team honors, and he beat out Hagel by 100 votes.

C Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche) – In the closest vote, MacKinnon nearly beat out Draisaitl as the league’s top center from the 2024-25 season, with Draisaitl receiving more First Team votes than MacKinnon. Still, the 2023-24 Most Valuable Player scored 10 more points than Draisaitl this year, while arguably being a larger part of his team’s success without having Connor McDavid as a teammate.

RW Nikita Kucherov (Lightning) – The reigning Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner was a near-unanimous selection for First Team honors, with only two voters assessing he wasn’t worthy. Although he couldn’t match his 100-assist output from last year, Kucherov was again dominant for the Bolts, scoring 37 goals and 121 points in 78 games.

D Cale Makar (Avalanche) – This year’s James Norris Trophy winner received the most First Team votes of any player on the 2024-25 All-Star Teams with 189. Makar has been on one of the best offensive runs from a defenseman in recent memory, scoring 51 goals and 182 points in his last 157 games, with another six goals and 20 points in 18 postseason contests.

D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets) – As one of the more unheralded members of the All-Star Team, Werenski came into his own during the 2024-25 campaign. He scored 23 goals and 82 points in 81 games, averaged 26:45 of ice time per game, and finished with 131 blocked shots. Being one of the prime reasons that the Columbus Blue Jackets nearly qualified for the postseason, it’s unsurprising Werenski received so many Norris votes and was named one of the league’s top defensemen.

G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) – Despite tying with Kucherov with the second-most First Team votes, there was no clearer choice for the league’s top netminder than Hellebuyck. The American netminder secured the Vezina Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy this season, leading the league in wins (47), GAA (2.00), shutouts(8), Goals Saved Above Average (41.6), and Adjusted Goals Against Average (2.13).

Second Team

LW Brandon Hagel (Lightning) – Hagel narrowly beat out Alex Ovechkin for Second Team honors despite the latter receiving more First Team votes. Regardless of Ovechkin’s impressive season, there’s no question the right decision was made with Hagel. The six-year veteran scored 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games for Tampa Bay this season, besting his career-high last season by 15 points. Additionally, unlike Ovechkin, Hagel finished ninth in Selke Trophy voting as one of the league’s top defensive forwards.

C Leon Draisaitl (Oilers) – As previously mentioned, the vote between Draisaitl and MacKinnon came down to the wire. Draisaitl finished with an equally impressive season, scoring 52 goals and 106 points in 71 games, securing the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal-scorer. Furthermore, in a solid argument for Draisaitl, he finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting, far higher than MacKinnon, who placed 29th.

RW David Pastrňák (Bruins) – In another close vote, Pastrňák narrowly bested Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner for the second-best right winger from the 2024-25 campaign. Despite a lackluster year from the Boston Bruins, who finished with the 28th-ranked offense, Pastrňák didn’t notice. The Czech winger scored 43 goals and 106 points in 82 games, and brought up his production over the last three years to 151 goals and 329 points in 246 games.

D Victor Hedman (Lightning) – The captain of the Lightning was also in a close vote, beating Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey by a few votes. There are arguments for both sides, but Hedman finished the year with more goals (15), assists (51), points (66), blocked shots (133), and CorsiFor% at even strength (53.5%) compared to Morrissey.

D Quinn Hughes (Canucks) – Hughes rightfully received the most Second Team votes of his counterparts. As the primary reason the Vancouver Canucks had any sense of competitiveness this year, Hughes scored 16 goals and 76 points in 68 games, averaging 25:44 of ice time a game. Had Hughes remained healthy for the entire 2024-25 campaign, he likely would have presented a bigger challenge to Makar and Werenski as the league’s top blueliner.

G Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) – After a down 2023-24 campaign (comparatively to his career), Vasilevskiy returned to form in 2024-25. The former Vezina Trophy winner finished with a 38-20-5 record in 63 starts, with a .921 SV% and 2.18 GAA. It wasn’t enough to beat out Hellebuyck, but Vasilevskiy easily would have been named the league’s top netminder in any other year.

Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference Finals?

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The Western Conference finals are set, as the defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers will take on the Dallas Stars, led by the phenomenal play of Mikko Rantanen. It’s a rematch from last season’s conference final, where the Oilers came out on top in six games.

The Oilers have been on a heater since starting round one with a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Kings. Since then, the Oilers have lost just one game, winning four in a row against the Kings before taking down the Golden Knights in five games. Unsurprisingly, the team is being led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 33 points in 11 games. The Oilers lead all teams with 43 playoff goals, averaging nearly 4 goals per game.

The Oilers have also benefited from standout play by defenseman Evan Bouchard, who leads the team with 26:24 of ice time per game in the playoffs, while contributing 12 points and a team-high 13 takeaways. This continues Bouchard’s tremendous playoff run from last season, when he recorded 32 points and a plus-14 rating, helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

An intriguing storyline for the Oilers heading into the Western Conference Final is the performance of their goaltenders. Despite the team cruising through two rounds, Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner have combined for just an .886 save percentage, which doesn’t inspire much confidence during a playoff run. At some point, it stands to reason that the Oilers may struggle to sustain their momentum with that level of goaltending. That said, Pickard has been perfect since stepping in as the starter, posting a 6-0 record and providing timely saves when needed.

The Stars are being carried by Rantanen, whose league-leading 19 playoff points have been nothing short of spectacular. However, offensive support from the rest of the roster has been inconsistent. Wyatt Johnston, who tallied 71 points during the regular season, has managed just eight in the playoffs and carries a troubling minus-13 rating. Veterans Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have struggled to make an impact, while 20-goal scorers Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund have failed to replicate their regular-season production. Despite Rantanen’s heroics, Dallas enters the Western Conference Final with a minus-four goal differential.

That also includes the exceptional goaltending of Jake Oettinger, who has posted a .919 save percentage through 13 playoff games. The 26-year-old has been a consistently reliable performer in the postseason, carrying a .913 save percentage over 60 career appearances. His steady presence in the net will be critical as Dallas prepares to face Edmonton’s high-powered offense.

So, what will win out: the Oilers’ explosive offense, or the Stars’ stout goaltending and the heroics of Rantanen? It’s a clash of strengths that could define the rematch. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thinking!

Who will win the Western Conference Finals?
Edmonton Oilers 66.91% (2,220 votes)
Dallas Stars 33.09% (1,098 votes)
Total Votes: 3,318

Leon Draisaitl, Connor Hellebuyck, Nikita Kucherov Named Hart Trophy Finalists

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Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and Lightning right-winger Nikita Kucherov have been named the Hart Trophy finalists as the NHL’s most valuable player for the 2024-25 season, the league announced today (via X).

Like most other major awards, the Hart is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. It’s one of the longest-running annual honors in the league, first presented in 1924. Each voter submits a five-player ballot with a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Compared with the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by the players for best player, Kucherov is the only carryover member in this year’s nominations.

Draisaitl and Kucherov are in the running to win the Hart for the second time in their careers, while Hellebuyck is a first-time finalist after finishing top 10 in voting in 2019-20 and 2023-24. He’s the first goalie to finish as a finalist for the award since the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22, and he’s aiming to be the first to win it since the Canadiens’ Carey Price in 2014-15.

Draisaitl, 29, has never been nominated for the Hart without winning it. He didn’t receive any votes last year after four straight years in the top 10, but rebounded with a vengeance in 2024-25 with a league-leading 52 goals despite missing 11 games due to injuries. It was the German superstar’s first time leading the league in goals, and his 11 game-winners led the league for the third time.

Hellebuyck wins a nomination in what will likely be an extremely tight vote when results are released following the announcement of the winner. The 31-year-old has continued his dominant run as the league’s best regular-season netminder over the past half-decade, posting a .925 SV% along with a league-leading 2.00 GAA, eight shutouts, 47 wins, and 41.6 goals saved above average – all career-highs, too – in 63 appearances.

As for Kucherov, he secures his second straight Hart nomination, along with the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading point-getter, for the second straight season. While his campaign ended in defeat at the hands of the Panthers in last night’s Game 5, he posted 84 assists and 121 points in 78 games in the regular season en route to the 31-year-old’s third career Hart nomination. With a win, the future Hall-of-Famer would join Alex Ovechkin as the only Russian in league history with multiple MVP awards.

Latest On Edmonton Oilers Injuries

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Teams around the NHL received long lists of injury updates headed into the weekend. None were more important than for the Edmonton Oilers, who learned that Leon Draisaitl will return before the end of the regular season, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic before Friday’s win over San Jose. Draisaitl has missed Edmonton’s last four games with an undisclosed injury. Knoblauch also shared that goaltender Stuart Skinner will return to start two of the team’s last four games, that defenseman Mattias Ekholm is back to full health, and forward Trent Frederic might not be ready for the first game of the postseason. Nugent-Bowman also shared that defenseman Jake Walman would continue to sit out on Friday, but is expected to return in one of the team’s back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.

Both Ekholm and Skinner rejoined the lineup on Friday night after missing Edmonton’s last seven games. Ekholm’s injury wasn’t disclosed but Skinner had sustained a head injury on a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen in late March. Skinner served as the backup in his return, but Ekholm wasn’t as lucky. He stumbled a few times in his first few shifts and eventually left the game after just two minutes of total ice time. Winger Zach Hyman also left the game early, after just seven minutes of ice time. It wasn’t entirely clear where either Oilers skater was hurt. Knoblauch told Nugent-Bowman after the game that both Ekholm and Hyman will be questionable for game one of the playoffs.

No injury updates were provided about center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has missed the last two games with illness, or defenseman John Klingberg, who has missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury. Knoblauch did add that forward Evander Kane, who hasn’t played this season due to multiple surgeries, still does not have a clear timeline.

The wave of injury updates come at the right time for the Oilers. They have three games remaining in their season and a cushy role as the third-ranked Pacific Division squad all-but-locked up. The Oilers appear to be headed for a feud with the Los Angeles Kings in round one, and will need their offensive firepower to get over the defense that’s allowed the second-fewest goals in the Western Conference.

Draisaitl’s addition will go a long way towards achieving that goal. He’s among the top favorites for the Hart Trophy this season, after amassing 52 goals and 106 points in just 71 games. His scoring average puts him on pace for 122 points in 82 games – just shy of the career-high 128 points he recorded in the 2022-23 season. Draisaitl has performed at a superstar level once again this season, and getting a chance to return before the postseason kicks off should help him get back up to star speed before Edmonton’s must-win games.

Draisaitl will help pull the Oilers offense forward while Walman looks to assume a major role on defense. Ekholm leaves a top-pair role and over 22 minutes of ice time each game up for grabs, and Walman will be the primary beneficiary when he’s ready to return. The Trade Deadline acquisition has posted a fantastic eight points, six penalty minutes, and plus-five in 15 games with the Oilers, while averaging more than 21 minutes a game. He’s become an adequate support for top left-defender Darnell Nurse, and together the two will look to split Edmonton’s top role on the left-side. Ekholm will join the duo when he’s back to full health, giving the Oilers one of their deepest blue-lines headed into the postseason in recent memory.

That boost will help make up for blows to Edmonton’s complimentary cast. Hyman has continued to stand as a top scorer on the lineup with 27 goals – second-most on the team – and 44 points in 73 games this season. He’s once again dominating the net-front, a role that Edmonton has struggled to fill in his absence. That role could be managed by Trade Deadline buy Trent Frederic, though he’s only been healthy for one game since Edmonton sent a second-round and fourth-round draft pick to Boston for the centerman. His return will likely line up closely with Hyman’s, effectively defaulting Frederic to a role in Edmonton’s bottom-six – where he’ll look to carve out a role on the back of his size, 15 points in 58 games, and underperforming 10.3 shooting percentage this season.

Edmonton’s skaters will collectively look to bolster the product in front of starting goaltender Stuart Skinner, who has again struggled with consistency this season. Skinner has two shutouts on the year, but a .894 save percentage and 24-18-4 record through 48 starts. He’s been ever-so-slightly outperformed by backup Calvin Pickard in his absence, though Pickard’s 22-9-1 record and .902 save percentage don’t jump off the page either. Goaltending has been Edmonton’s achilles heel in past postseasons, and how Skinner is able to return from injury could go a long way towards shaping their playoff hopes. The Oilers will be looking to run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in due time, after they lost in game seven of the Finals to the Florida Panthers last season.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Oilers Expecting Healthy Lineup For Playoffs

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A laundry list of injuries has pulled the end of the Edmonton Oilers season into disarray. The bunch of inactive Oilers is led by superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who has missed the team’s last two and eight games respectively. They’re joined by a seemingly endless list of impactful Oilers on the sideline – including starting goaltender Stuart Skinner (six missed games), top-four defensemen John Klingberg (five games) and Mattias Ekholm (six games), and freshly-injured top-six centerman Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. On top of that, Edmonton has only received one game out of Trade Deadline acquisition Trent Frederic, and continues to grapple with uncertainty around Evander Kane.

But with so much to bear through, Edmonton isn’t expecting the injuries to carry into the postseason. Head coach Kris Knoblauch shared in a Wednesday press conference that he expects to get “everybody” back from injury before the end of the season. He further specified that McDavid and Draisaitl will remain out on a day-to-day basis, up to a week. That timeframe puts the pair of superstars on track to return just ahead of Edmonton’s final games of the regular season, which take place on Monday April 14th and Wednesday April 16th.

The Oilers haven’t technically clinched a playoff spot just yet – but with a six-point advantage over the rest of the Pacific Division, a locked-in spot is a matter of when not if. That will make their half-strength run through the end of the season a bit easier to withstand, though the Oilers will still be icing an unprecedented lineup on Wednesday night. They’ll be without eight routine NHL players including Kane. That equates to $42.2MM in cap space that will be left on the shelf, as shared by Jason Gregor of Sports 1440.

The decimated Oilers will move forward with rookies Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue respectively filling the role of fourth-line center and backup goaltender. Second-year defenseman Ty Emberson will also stick in the Oilers lineup with this news, giving him a chance to continue the search for his first goal of the season. Emberson has 10 assists in 71 games this season, while Philp has recorded two assists in the first 12 games of his NHL career this year. Rodrigue has also played in the first two games of his NHL career this season, and has 25 saves on 29 shots (0.862 save percentage) and a 0-1-0 record.

Together, the trio of young additions will look to push Edmonton past a hard-nosed St. Louis Blues team, fresh off the end of a 12-game win-streak, on Wednesday night. They’ll be rewarded with a lighter game against the San Jose Sharks on Friday, but then close the year with matchups against the top-ranked Winnipeg Jets, playoff competition Los Angeles Kings, and another match against San Jose.

Pacific Notes: Draisaitl, Frederic, Gudas, Mølgaard

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The Edmonton Oilers will again be without star forward Leon Draisaitl in their lineup. According to team TV host Tony Brar, Draisaitl has sustained a minor lower-body injury, although it’s unrelated to his previous ailment.

Draisaitl had recently missed four consecutive games for Edmonton with an undisclosed injury. Upon his return on April 1st, the 11-year veteran tallied one goal and one assist against the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. Thankfully for the Oilers, there’s no concern that Draisaitl’s recent string of injuries will impact his availability for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On a more positive injury note for Edmonton, Brar also reported there is a “slight” chance that Trent Frederic could debut with the team tomorrow against the Los Angeles Kings. Frederic is still recovering from a lower-body injury suffered in February when he was rostered with the Boston Bruins.

Other notes from the Pacfic Division:

  • Contrary to a report from yesterday evening, Anaheim Ducks’ captain, Radko Gudas, isn’t headed for the operating room this off-season (Tweet Link). The initial was generated to contextualize Gudas’s “struggles” this season, but it doesn’t appear to be based on much accuracy. Gudas has essentially only struggled with his possession quality this year, as his physicality and defensive metrics (both of which he’s excelled at his entire career) have improved.
  • Moving to a prospect note, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, announced that prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard is joining the team for the remainder of the season. Mølgaard, the 52nd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently finished a strong campaign with the SHL’s HV71, scoring five goals and 19 points in 38 contests.

West Notes: Draisaitl, Heiskanen, Trouba, Stephenson, Sissons

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A familiar face will return for the ’Battle of Alberta’ tonight. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, the Edmonton Oilers will welcome back superstar Leon Draisaitl after he missed he last four games with an undisclosed injury.

His presence in the Oilers’ lineup can’t be understated. Draisaitl is having an MVP-caliber season, leading Edmonton in scoring with 49 goals and 101 points in 68 games. Most notably, Draisaitl leads the entire NHL in goals, even strength goals (34), and game-winning goals (10).

The team has faced challenges without him and his teammate, Connor McDavid. The Oilers own a 1-2-1 record in the four games without the duo, averaging 3.00 GF/G while allowing a ghastly 4.50 GA/G to their opponents. Edmonton is battling with the Los Angeles Kings in the standings for the second spot in the Pacific Division, and they’ll want to avoid hobbling into the playoffs due to injuries.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

  • In a positive update for the Dallas Stars, independent writer Robert Tiffin reported earlier that defenseman Miro Heiskanen had officially resumed skating. Recent reporting indicated that Dallas wasn’t expecting Heiskanen back for their first-round matchup in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, with more than three weeks remaining in the regular season, Heiskanen’s return to skating may mean he’ll return earlier than expected from his knee surgery.
  • According to Derek Lee of The Hockey News, the Anaheim Ducks avoided a worst-case scenario with defenseman Jacob Trouba. Trouba suffered a scary injury in last night’s contest against the New York Rangers when he ran into former teammate Igor Shesterkin’s stick, causing Trouba to crash into the boards at a high velocity. Despite not joining the team for practice today, Trouba’s recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day, and he could feature for Anaheim in their upcoming contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Chandler Stephenson may return to the Seattle Kraken tonight after missing three games due to a lower-body injury. Earlier today, Seattle’s broadcast analyst Alison Lukan reported that Stephenson has been upgraded to a game-time decision. His return would be significant for the Kraken, as he is the team’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals and 48 points in 69 games.
  • Lastly, the Nashville Predators lost a bottom-six forward partway through tonight’s loss against the Vegas Golden Knights. Nashville shared that forward Colton Sissons wouldn’t return to tonight’s action due to a lower-body injury. Further information should come out tomorrow regarding Sissons’ status moving forward. He’s only missed one of Nashville’s 73 games this season.

West Notes: Oilers, Stancl, Fischer, Colangelo

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Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch provided injury updates to several reporters, including TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link).  While centers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid were ruled out for the week recently, Knoblauch clarified that Draisaitl will be the first one to come back, likely after this week ends or soon after; that suggests McDavid could miss a bit more time beyond that.  Meanwhile, newcomer Trent Frederic could still be multiple weeks away from skating with the team, calling into question if he’ll be able to get into game action before the end of the regular season.  Edmonton recently slipped into third place in the Pacific Division and they’ll have to find a way to at least stay close to getting that spot back while waiting for their two top players to return.

More from out West:

  • The Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield announced a pair of additions. First, St. Louis reassigned winger Jakub Stancl from WHL Kelowna to the Thunderbirds.  The 20-year-old signed his entry-level contract last year but spent the season with the Rockets where he potted 23 goals and 34 assists in 58 games.  This was his only year in major junior after playing professionally in Sweden last season.  His entry-level deal will officially begin in 2025-26 after sliding this season.  The Thunderbirds also added defenseman Lukas Fischer on an ATO for the remainder of the year.  The 18-year-old was a second-round pick last year, going 56th overall and spent this season with OHL Sarnia where he had 15 goals and 22 assists in 51 games.  If he sees game action with Springfield, it will be his first taste of professional action.
  • The Ducks will have winger Sam Colangelo back in the lineup tonight against Boston, relays Eric Stephens of The Athletic (Twitter link). He had been out for the last two weeks with an upper-body injury.  Colangelo is in his first full professional season and has split time between Anaheim and AHL San Diego.  He has six goals and an assist in 20 games with the Ducks while being quite productive with the Gulls, tallying 19 goals and 16 helpers in 38 outings on the farm.

Oilers’ Connor McDavid And Leon Draisaitl To Miss More Time

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Edmonton Oilers’ superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will not play this week, meaning they’ll miss an additional three games with injury, per team reporter Tony Brar.

McDavid suffered a lower body injury during last Thursday’s lost to the Winnipeg Jets after taking a cross check to the midsection, while Draisaitl has missed the team’s last two games with an undisclosed injury. On Friday, it was reported that both Draisaitl and McDavid were headed for further testing on help determine the severity and duration of their injuries.

Also on Friday, head coach Kris Knoblauch stated both players would be day-to-day moving forward. Knoblauch added it’s important to preach caution at this stage of the season, and that is especially true when it comes to the team’s two best players. However, today’s news seems to reset the timeline for their return. The Oilers next three games will be against the Stars on Wednesday, the Kraken on Thursday, and the Flames on Saturday.

If possible, Draisaitl has risen his game to an even higher level this season. He currently leads the league in goals with 49 and his 101 points are second behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (105). He also leads the league in power play goals and game-winning goals. Meanwhile, McDavid has continued to produce at an MVP-candidate-level, posting 90 points in 63 games.

With the playoffs right around the corner, it goes without saying a full return to health for both players will be paramount to Edmonton’s hopes at another deep run. Last season, the two stars combined for an astonishing 73 points in 25 games, with McDavid securing the Conn Smythe Trophy despite coming up short of hoisting the Stanley Cup. The Oilers currently sit third in the Pacific with 87 points but are tied in points with Kings for second place.

 

 

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