NHL insider Chris Johnston of TSN gave an update on the injury of Edmonton Oilers captain and star player Connor McDavid.
McDavid left the Oilers 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 28 after his first shift. He was ruled out with a lower-body injury, and he left the road trip early to go back to Edmonton to undergo testing.
Following the injury, Johnston spoke on ‘Insider Trading’ and said the Oilers are expected to give a full update on October 31 on his injury. But, Johnston says even Edmonton doesn’t know the significance yet.
“The main reason is that he and the Oilers are still getting to the bottom of that situation. He flew back on Tuesday from Nashville, where the team was, to Edmonton,” Johnston said. “It gave him a chance to get some imaging done and consult with the team’s medical staff. From that point, they’ll be able to determine exactly what kind of injury he’s dealing with. And, what kind of timeline he’s looking at for how long he’ll be out of the Oilers’ lineup?
Johnston, however, believes it could be a significant injury due to the moves the Oilers have made since the injury.
“I think we can infer that it’s not an insignificant injury,” Johnston said. “The fact that he’s had to travel back to Edmonton and, in the short term, the team has recalled a couple of players from the American Hockey League to fill his spot in the lineup while we await the news on how long he’ll be out of the lineup.
Oilers’ Confident in Offensive Group
The injury to McDavid comes at a time when Edmonton is off to a 4-5-1 start.
It’s another slow start for the Oilers, and a key reason why is its lack of scoring. Edmonton is averaging 2.2 goals per game through 10 games. And, with the injury to McDavid, the Oilers offense is expected to take another hit.
But, TSN’s insider Darren Dreger says the Oilers are still confident in the team’s offensive ability.
“Management isn’t pushing any panic buttons,” Dreger said on ‘Insider Trading’. “They believe and remain confident that the offensive leaders will find their way. But if you look at the offensive categories around the National Hockey League, for the most part, you can appreciate why Stan Bowman and company are confident.
“Yes, they rank last in actual goals scored, but they’re number one in shot attempts, number one in offensive zone possession time, and top-five in expected goals and slot shots,” Dreger added. “The message internally is just to find a way to score and to finish the play. Yes, the temperature is rising among ownership but there’s no urgency at this point to seek any outside help.”
McDavid has 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points in 10 games.
Edmonton Calls Up 2 Forwards After Injury to McDavid
The Oilers recalled forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from the AHL Bakersfield Condors.
Philip is 26 years old and was undrafted. He has yet to play in the NHL but last season in the AHL, he skated in 70 games recording 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points. He signed with the Oilers’ organization after finishing his career at the University of Alberta.
Caggiula, meanwhile, is 30 years old and has skated in 282 NHL games. However, he has not played an NHL game since the 2022-23 season. Last season in the AHL, he recorded 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points in 43 games.
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