Edmonton Oilers icon Connor McDavid is a game-time decision for Edmonton's do-or-die Game 5 tilt against Anaheim. It would be shocking if he doesn't play, writes Adam Proteau.
To say things haven't gone the Edmonton Oilers' way in the first round of these playoffs would be a colossal understatement.
The Oilers have been pushed to the brink of elimination in their first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. And now, on Tuesday afternoon, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters superstar center Connor McDavid is a game-time decision in what is a do-or-die Game 5.
McDavid suffered an ankle injury in Game 2 that's clearly limiting his abilities in this series. And yet, he still has four points in four games.
So is McDavid really going to miss out on an elimination game?
Players managing to play through injuries in playoff games is a tale as old as time.
This year, Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot played in the Sens' first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes only a few weeks after breaking his arm.
In the 2024 playoffs, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl played with injuries, including a hand and rib issue for Draisaitl.
And in 2023, Florida Panthers star left winger Matthew Tkachuk needed help getting dressed and tying his skates while playing with a fractured sternum. So this is hardly the first time a player chooses to play through serious pain.
We shouldn't always glorify NHLers for playing despite being hurt, but you can understand why it happens. Players are all-in invested at this time of year. They only have a handful of these opportunities, and if they have to suffer a little bit – or a lot – to get to the promised land and Cup glory, that's a toll they're willing to pay.
So, bringing the conversation back to McDavid – even if he's at 50 or 60 percent right now without a huge risk of causing a long-term injury, isn't that better than normal players at 90 or 100 percent?
Nobody should be asking him to put his life and retirement days at risk. But if McDavid can get on the ice for 10 or 15 shifts, that might be the difference between the Oilers avoiding elimination and being sent home for the summer Tuesday night.
The stakes couldn't be much higher for him, so you have to imagine we're going to see McDavid playing as much as he can in Game 5.
If he's that significantly injured that he risks permanent damage, McDavid should definitely put his health first and rest up to be a game-changing factor in Game 6 and beyond if the Oilers get that far.
As we saw with Sidney Crosby at February's Olympics, Canada's captain tried hard to make it possible to play in the semifinals and gold medal game. But ultimately, he just couldn't go. So there's also precedent this year of a superstar who just couldn't play when they'd be effective at even being 50-percent healthy.
But if he can suit up and get on the ice for warmups in Game 5, the inspiration factor on his Oilers teammates could be through the roof.
This hasn't been an easy year for McDavid, who couldn't deliver Canada to a gold-medal performance at the Olympics. So the opportunity to get deep in the playoffs this year is not one he takes for granted.
But if he does choose to play through whatever's ailing him and he comes through in the clutch, McDavid will add to his already-impressive legacy with the Oilers.
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