Several Oilers stars are sidelined with injuries, casting uncertainty on their playoff readiness and forcing some lineup decisions as the postseason looms.
The Edmonton Oilers are banged up; there's no doubt about that. Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman both skated on Monday morning, but both were in grey jerseys, meaning no contact. Neither will play tonight as the Oilers take on the Colorado Avalanche.
Meanwhile, Edmonton is also down Jason Dickinson and Max Jones, with the coach providing some updates on their status.
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Draisaitl spoke after the morning skate and noted, "We’ll see. There are steps I have to follow and certain things I have to be able to do. I’m not there yet right now. We’ll see how that is by the end of the week or whenever Game 1 would be.”
He also noted this was not the kind of injury you "force" or try to play through. When asked if there was a chance Draisaitl might push through depending on the situation in the playoffs, Kris Knoblauch said it was too early to suggest he'd be playing tonight if this were a playoff game. Draisaitl was expected sometime in Round 1, but no one knows anything for certain.
He did look good on the ice, however.
Knoblauch also noted that Zach Hyman won’t be in tonight. He may play Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks, but that's not a guarantee.
The most recent injury was to Max Jones, who is now out 3-4 weeks.
As for Jason Dickinson, his timeline is up in the air. He won’t play either of the next two games to close out the regular season and he will be evaluated at that time. There is a chance he could miss some playoff action.
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