Before Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch announced a string of injury updates that left the team depleted heading into their first-round matchup with the LA-based team.
Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman were both ruled out for the night.
“Hyman is not playing tonight. McDavid is not playing tonight,” Knoblauch said. “That’s precautionary.
"We feel that we have too much to lose there. So we’re playing that extremely safely.”
Leon Draisaitl was also held out, with Knoblauch stating he expected him back for Game 1 of the playoffs. The Oilers coach also ruled out Mattias Ekholm for the entire first round, calling his return “unlikely any time soon.”
Jake Walman and Troy Stecher were labeled day-to-day, while Trent Frederic and Evander Kane remained questionable, as reported by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Monday.
Knoblauch tried to remain optimistic amid the many injuries impacting the team during the home stretch of the season and ahead of the playoffs.
“The fact that we have a lot of guys who were anticipating to come back and start the playoffs—the McDavids, Draisaitls, Hymans. You know, those guys are pretty important,” Knoblauch said. “I wouldn't be as confident or looking forward to it as much as I am, if those guys weren't in the position they are.”
The injury-ridden Oilers lineup couldn’t match the Kings, who scored three goals in the first period and added two more on the power play.
With their win over Edmonton, Los Angeles clinched the No. 2 seed in the Pacific Division and will open the playoffs at home against the Oilers.
The loss dropped the Oilers to the No. 3 seed no matter what happens in their final game of the season, as they have 99 points to the Kings' 103 and cannot reach them in the standings anymore.
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