The Edmonton Oilers will be without superstar centre Connor McDavid for two or three weeks after he sustained an ankle injury in a game earlier this week.
The NHL club confirmed the injury timeline on Wednesday morning.
McDavid sustained the injury just 37 seconds into the Oilers’ game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
Brenden Escott, the host of the radio program Inside Sports on 880 CHED, noted the Oilers are already “struggling mightily to score.” The team is currently tied for 30th place out of 32 teams when it comes to total goals scored this season.
“There’s no doubt this is a crushing blow to the forward group,” Escott said. “The power play has been anemic as well and it just lost a key component.
“Leon Draisaitl is going to be asked to drive the top line and I wonder if this helps spark more offence from him and Zach Hyman too, who has been generating plenty of scoring opportunities but running into good goaltending and bad luck.”
On Tuesday, the Oilers recalled forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from the club’s American Hockey League affiliate.
“You don’t make up for his (McDavid) absence with a call-up,” Escott said.
“The entire team needs to elevate its level of play in order to survive the next couple of weeks.”
So far this season, McDavid has scored three goals and collected seven assists in 10 games. Last season saw him accumulate 132 points in 76 games.
After reaching the Stanley Cup final last season, expectations are high for the Oilers in their 2024-25 campaign. The team currently has a 4-5-1 record.