McDavid out two-to-three weeks with ankle injury
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Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is expected to miss two-to-three weeks with an ankle injury suffered Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced.
The update comes after McDavid flew back to Edmonton on Tuesday, while the team continued their road trip in Nashville.
TSN's Ryan Rishaug notes McDavid could miss more than 10 games given the timeline and a congested schedule ahead. The Oilers won just one of their six games with McDavid sidelined last fall. Edmonton has 10 games scheduled over the next three weeks from Wednesday.
The injury occurred during the opening shift of Monday's game as McDavid was battling for the puck in the offensive zone. Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski appeared to trip McDavid, who went tumbling into the boards. No penalty was called on the play. The Oilers' captain attempted to remain in the play, but eventually skated to the bench under his own power and did not take another shift.
Edmonton ended up falling to the Blue Jackets 6-1 on Monday, dropping their record to 4-5-1 on the early season.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Tuesday on Insider Trading that the Oilers are not expected to make any panic moves amid their slow start and McDavid's injury.
"That should be enough to worry about for Oilers’ brass but really, there was another concerning game on Monday night for the Oilers in many different factors," Dreger said. "The fact that they cannot create any offence is, right now, the biggest concern for this group.
"Management isn’t pushing any panic buttons. They believe and remain confident that the offensive leaders will find their way. But if you look at the offensive categories around the National Hockey League, for the most part, you can appreciate why Stan Bowman and company are confident. Yes, they rank last in actual goals scored, but they’re number one in shot attempts, number one in offensive zone possession time, and top-five in expected goals and slot shots. The message internally is just to find a way to score and to finish the play.
"Yes, the temperature is rising among ownership but there’s no urgency at this point to seek any outside help."
McDavid has three goals and seven assists in 10 games with the Oilers this season. The 25-year-old forward had 32 goals and 132 points in 76 games last season, having also missed time early in the campaign with a lower-body injury.
The Richmond Hill, Ont. native has topped the 100-point mark in seven of the past eight seasons, winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league's points leader on five occasions. he is also a three-time Hart Trophy winner, the 2023 Rocket Richard winner and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy this past spring.
“He's our leader and also the best player in the game,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said of McDavid Monday. “So, of course you're going to feel it. We’ve got to do a better job of stepping up when a guy like that goes down.”