Leon Draisaitl won’t be in the lineup Saturday when the Edmonton Oilers take on the Los Angeles Kings, and he’s also likely to miss Monday’s game in Anaheim. According to head coach Kris Knoblauch, the Oilers’ superstar is dealing with a lower-body injury— one that’s different from the issue he sustained earlier this month.
The bad news is that Draisaitl has suffered yet another injury ahead of an Oilers playoff run. The good news is that it’s not said to be serious. The better news is that Draisaitl has proven over and over that injuries don’t slow him down.
Draisaitl Battling Through Injuries Has Become the Norm
Draisaitl playing through injuries around playoff time has almost become an annual tradition.
Over the past few playoff runs, Draisaitl has routinely battled through physical setbacks while still managing to put up elite numbers. Most notably, he played through a high-ankle sprain during the 2022 post-season and still posted an absurd 32 points in 16 games. Last season, Draisaitl wasn’t 100 percent either, but he managed 31 points in 25 games.
Draisaitl is a warrior. He’s even used to other players targeting him once they know he’s vulnerable. He appeared in 2022 on the 32 Thoughts Podcast and said:
“Obviously, it was a high ankle sprain. I think everyone knew that. The second I would catch it in a game, just a toe would get stuck or I twisted in a direction where normally it does nothing, the pain would just shoot right up my body and take all my energy out. It was definitely painful, very painful. It was a lot of treatment going on. Like I said, there was obviously a lot of guys who played through injury. It was something I had to deal with — and it took me a little while to get the hang of it with changing my game a little bit.”
When it came to how he handled that injury, he noted, “I tried to find a way to be productive in a different way. I thought I did a pretty good job of it.”
That might be the understatement of the century.
After last season’s playoff run ended, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch spoke to the media as part of the end-of-the-year press conferences. He revealed that Draisaitl was among some key Oilers players who were dealing with injuries during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Draisaitl was playing through both a hand and rib injury.
So, for Draisaitl to be coming into this season’s playoff a bit banged up is nothing new.
Draisaitl Set to Be Back Before the Playoffs
Knoblauch said on Friday about his playoff machine: “It’s lower body and we don’t believe it’s going to be something that’s going to head into the playoffs. We think he’s going to be back well before that, so we’re not too concerned – especially with Leon’s pain tolerance and the things that he’s played through before.”
There’s no firm timeline for Draisaitl’s return, but for a player who has consistently performed at a high level despite injury, that he’s going to be OK is really all the team and its fans need to hear.
With the postseason approaching, the Oilers are taking the smart route by giving Draisaitl the time he needs now. If recent history is any indication, he’ll be back when it matters — and ready to make another impact, even if he's not at 100 percent.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.