As captain Connor McDavid returns to the lineup, another Edmonton Oiler went down. In a gritty matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers forward Mattias Janmark found himself on the receiving end of a hard hit by Ivan Barbashev. Immediately, Janmark went down the tunnel to the Oilers locker room. Despite returning to the bench later in the game, Janmark was notably absent from practice on Thursday. Head coach Kris Knoblauch could not confirm if the forward would be available Saturday versus the Vancouver Canucks after suffering an undisclosed injury.
With a few days of rest ahead, Janmark may miss no time. Yet questions remain on how soon he’ll be back in the lineup. If he’s out for any length of time, it’s a blow to the team, particularly on the penalty kill – an area the Oilers can’t afford to see slip any further.
Janmark’s Season Hasn’t Gone According to Plan
Coming off a three-year, $4.35 million contract extension, Janmark has struggled to replicate his postseason performances, particularly in the penalty-killing role. Throughout the 2024 postseason, Janmark and Connor Brown were some of the most prolific penaltykillers in the league, helping the Oilers achieve a 94% success rate. Now, for no clear reason at all, the penalty kill currently sits with one of the worst success rates in NHL history through 14 games with a 59.5% success rate.
Janmark’s offensive game hasn’t exactly gone to plan either, recording three points in 14 games, an average of 0.21 points per game. Despite it being a major drop-off from his playoff average of 0.32 points per game, it is still better than the 0.17 points per game average he achieved last season.
The good news is that Janmark’s injury doesn’t seem to be anything too serious. His immediate return to the game after the hit coupled with the few days of rest before the next game favors a quick recovery. If Janmark is unable to return by Saturday, the Oilers may be forced to either call someone up from the AHL or to play a game with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen.
