The Edmonton Oilers earned a 3–2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, but the bigger storyline was the loss of their top scorer to injury.
Leon Draisaitl exited midway through the second period after what appeared to be an awkward fall or collision.
The forward skated gingerly to the bench before heading straight to the locker room and did not return. The team later confirmed he was ruled out for the remainder of the game with an undisclosed injury.
Draisaitl had just returned to the lineup this week after missing four games last month with a lower-body issue.
The forward left the ice while shaking his head in a worrying development, signaling discomfort.
Thursday marked only his third appearance since returning from his prior issue. Despite his limited availability, the 29-year-old leads the NHL with 52 goals and sits third in the league with 106 points.
Analyst Bob Stauffer speculated during the second intermission of Thursday's game that the issue could be core-related and potentially different from the previous injury he suffered a few days ago.
The Oilers are already without Connor McDavid, who hasn’t played since March 20, as well as Mattias Ekholm, Stuart Skinner, Trent Frederic, and Evander Kane.
Edmonton's injury list continues to grow as the regular season enters its final stretch with the playoffs scheduled to start on either April 19 or April 20.
Jeff Skinner scored the game-winning goal shortly after Draisaitl left, and the Oilers held on thanks to 27 saves from Calvin Pickard.
Edmonton (44-26-5) sits two points behind the Los Angeles Kings (43-23-9) for second in the Pacific Division, with a crucial matchup against the Kings looming on Saturday.
