HIGHLIGHTS
- Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid remains sidelined due to injury
- But, it appears he’s progressing in his rehab
- Read below for the full scoop
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid remains sidelined with an injury that he sustained on March 20. But, it appears the Stanley Cup finalists will have their main man back in the lineup very soon.
Speaking to reporters Monday, head coach Kris Knoblauch said McDavid has a legitimate chance of returning before the regular season concludes, despite staying back in Edmonton for the Oilers’ upcoming four-game road trip.
Via NHL.com:
“He might join us later on the trip, but not now,” Knoblauch said. “We know a ballpark point where it’s going to be and it’s not going to be the next game or two. We feel it should be before the regular season ends, so we’re looking at one, two (weeks), at the most three, because that’s what we have left in our season, but he’ll be [back] before the regular season is over.”
While the Oilers want him healthy, they also know there’s still a lot to play for in the postseason race:
“I think the most important thing is that he is healthy and 100 percent for the playoffs,” Knoblauch said. “To say the regular season is not that important and we’re not playing for anything and putting in time is a little far-fetched. We’re not in that position. When he is healthy, we want him joining and want him playing, but we’re not going to push something that might get worse.”
Leon Draisaitl was also recently out of the lineup with an injury but he just returned. The Oilers have compiled a 2-2-0 record without McDavid.
The three-time Hart Trophy winner has taken a step back as a goal scorer, but he’s still putting up numbers. McDavid has 26 goals and 64 helpers, sitting second on the Oilers in points behind Draisaitl, the frontrunner to win the Hart.
While McDavid being on the shelf is far from ideal for the Oilers, it does give the supporting cast a chance to find a rhythm ahead of the playoffs. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins thrived when McDavid and Draisaitl were both injured, tallying nine points in five games, including a hat-trick.
Edmonton is third in the Pacific Division and continues to chase the second-place Los Angeles Kings, who sit two points above them.
