The Edmonton Oilers are without both of their superstars right now as Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continue to be sidelined due to injuries. However, it appears one of them is back.
Draisaitl, who is the frontrunner for the Hart Trophy, skated Saturday morning ahead of the Battle of Alberta against the Calgary Flames and is likely to play, per head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Via Daniel Nugent-Bowman:
“Per Kris Knoblauch: Draisaitl is probable vs. CGY and Perry should play. He doesn’t foresee an issue with being able to dress 18 skaters, but it’s possible the Oilers have to play short-handed tonight.McDavid, S. Skinner, Ekholm, Klingberg are all out.”
Draisaitl suffered an injury on March 18 and hasn’t played since. There was optimism he would return at some point next week, so getting him back in the lineup on Saturday night is sooner than expected. The German is having a monster campaign, leading the Oilers with 101 points. He’s scored 49 goals and tallied 52 helpers.
Edmonton has lost two in a row, which isn’t exactly a huge surprise considering Draisaitl and McDavid have been on the shelf. It’s a rare occurrence where both of them aren’t in the lineup at the same time. When it comes to McDavid, it’s still unknown when he’ll be back in the mix for the Oilers.
A few days ago, Knoblauch explained how this stretch without their top guys is a good test for the supporting cast to find a rhythm ahead of the playoffs.
Via Sportsnet:
“We hope in the long run this is good for us,” Knoblauch told reporters. “Do we ever want (McDavid and Draisaitl) out of the lineup? No. (In) the short term, it’s harder for us to win games and move up in the standings, and we want to win as many games as possible. But, collectively, we want to be at our best for the playoffs. That’s the most important thing, and this little break without having those two, maybe that helps other guys find their games.”
The Oilers are third in the Pacific Division with a 41-26-5 record. Puck drop against the Flames is scheduled for 10 PM ET.
The post Oilers expecting Leon Draisaitl back for Battle of Alberta appeared first on ClutchPoints.
