Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is a definite maybe for Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“We’ll see where he is in the morning,” head coach Dave Tippett said Monday. “I wouldn’t rule him out, and I’m not saying he’s in either.”
“We’ll see how it feels tomorrow,” McDavid concurred. “We’ll worry about that tomorrow.”
McDavid was banged up Saturday night in the Oilers 3-2 win over Nashville. He slid into the boards early in the second period and stayed on the ice for a few seconds. After appearing bothered at first, McDavid finished the shift and played the rest of the game.
“I just banged it. It’s just a little sore and swollen,” McDavid said. “It’s kind of like a Charley horse, kind of lower part of the quad, top of the knee part.”
McDavid said he was never concerned about a recurrence of the left knee injury he suffered last April in the season finale against Calgary.
“It’s a completely different part (of the leg). Nothing that was hurt before hurts now,” McDavid explained.
McDavid worked with the power play before practice started Monday morning, then left the ice.
“We’ll come in the morning and skate again and see if he wants to play. If he’s good to play, then we’ll play him,” Tippett said.
McDavid is the second-leading scorer in the NHL with 81 points, trailing only teammate Leon Draisaitl’s 85 points.