The Oilers' captain sustained an ankle injury in Columbus on Monday night.
The Oilers' captain sustained an ankle injury in Columbus on Monday night.
The Oilers have avoided a worst-case scenario.
The team announced today that captain Connor McDavid should return to the team in two or three weeks after injuring his ankle on Monday night.
That would place McDavid's return somewhere between the 13th and 20th of November, missing at least seven games. Depending on his recovery, he could return to the team for their eastern Canada road trip, starting in Toronto on Hockey Night In Canada on November 16th, or possibly when they return home to face the Minnesota Wild on November 21st.
McDavid hasn't missed more than six games due to injury since his rookie year when he sustained a broken clavicle that held him out for 37 games.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXGHW9OcNoA[/embed]
Part of the reason he rarely misses games is because he constantly returns from injury quicker than expected. The most famous such instance is when he decided to forego surgery on a major knee injury he sustained in the final game of the 2018-19 season. He underwent a gruelling rehab process that summer, and returned in time for the 2019-20 season opener.
Later that season, he missed six games with a quad injury that initially looked much more serious. During this time, Leon Draisaitl stepped up with four goals and 12 points to keep the Oilers afloat in McDavid's absence.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCTtg3q1oUg[/embed]
McDavid also missed five games due to injury last season, at either end of the campaign. He missed two in October before returning early for the Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium, then missed three more with an upper-body ailment in April. The Oilers struggled without their captain last season, going just 1-4-1.
Coming off a brutal loss on Monday and still shaking off the cobwebs from a slow start to the season, the Oilers will need multiple players to step up to ensure they can survive McDavid's absence, no matter how long it is.
They'll get their first shot on Thursday, in Nashville.
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