The Edmonton Oilers are inching toward clinching their playoff spot. Their captain, Connor McDavid, has been out since March 20 with a lower-body injury. The Oilers are dealing with other injuries, namely to Leon Draisaitl, but McDavid’s is by far the most significant. Sportnet insider Elliotte Friedman revealed Saturday when fans can expect McDavid back.
“Before the Oilers played in Los Angeles [Saturday], McDavid skated as he continues to do on the trip. Just going out there every day, and he’s been consistent about it. The word is mid to late next week was the target. You know, we’ll see,” Friedman reported.
He then speculated that Saturday’s loss to Los Angeles could delay McDavid’s return even more. The loss pushed the Oilers four points back of the Kings, making home-ice advantage a long shot. It is all but a guarantee that Edmonton and Los Angeles will play for the fourth straight year in the first round. With so little to play for, the Oilers can be careful with McDavid.
Friedman’s timeline puts two Oilers home games in the crosshairs of McDavid’s return. They host the blistering hot St Louis Blues on Wednesday and the last-place San Jose Sharks on Friday. After that Sharks game, they have just three games until the playoffs.
The Oilers need a healthy Connor McDavid
Last year, Connor McDavid had one of the greatest postseason runs in NHL history. Even though Edmonton lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. If it was not clear enough how important he is to the Oilers’ success, he made that clear last spring.
One of Edmonton’s two franchise centers usually factors into the MVP race during the regular season. But Draisaitl has missed too much time, and McDavid has not lived up to his lofty expectations this season. He still has 90 points in 63 games with an incredible 64 assists, but not like last year’s 100-assist campaign.
The Oilers won’t win their division this year or take home any personal awards. This year, from the start, was always about winning the Stanley Cup. After going down 3-0 in the Cup Final, they did not give up. That Game 7 defeat was demoralizing but their team is built to win in the spring. McDavid needs to be healthy for the Oilers to win 16 games, and this update is promising.
The Oilers play in Anaheim on Monday.
