- Knoblauch confirmed Saturday that both McDavid and Dickinson had foot/ankle fractures
- McDavid took the injury early in Game 2 and finished the series at minus-8
- Read below for Knoblauch’s full quote, the press conference video, and what’s next
The Oilers finally explained how banged up Connor McDavid really was.
Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Saturday at the team’s end-of-season media availabilities that both McDavid and forward Jason Dickinson played through foot/ankle fractures during the first-round loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
“With Connor and Dickinson, both had fractures around the foot/ankle area,” Knoblauch told reporters. “Playing through a lot of pain. And yeah, that was the two most significant injuries. They spent a lot of time with the training staff getting through that.”
Knoblauch covered the rest of the injury picture in his end-of-season press conference, and the full video is worth a watch:
The McDavid injury happened early. He got tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and Ducks rookie defenseman Ian Moore four minutes into the second period of Game 2. McDavid stayed on the ice, but he wasn’t the same player after.
The numbers tell the story. McDavid finished the six-game series with one goal, six points, and a minus-8 rating. That’s the worst plus-minus of any playoff series in his career.
McDavid was a game-time decision for Games 5 and 6, but he suited up both nights.
Even with the injury reveal, McDavid wasn’t pinning the loss on it.
“Too hurt, too soon,” McDavid said after Thursday’s Game 6 loss. “The first round is always tough. It’s always chaotic, and it’s tough to play through things so early on, as many guys did in here. Credit to our staff for making guys available and making sure they’re as comfortable as possible.”
That was the same night McDavid called Edmonton an average team all year, so the picture is starting to fill in. A captain who couldn’t push off, a center group all playing hurt, and a roster that ran out of road in Round 1.
How quickly Edmonton can put a healthier roster around McDavid is the question now. The summer just got a lot more interesting.
