Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl played through significant injuries in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Zach Laing of the OilersNation reported that McDavid is dealing with an abdominal injury that likely requires surgery. Draisaitl, meanwhile, had a broken rib and broken finger.
“The war of attrition took its toll on the Oilers. Head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t divulge any information Monday night after the loss, but both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been playing through significant injuries, Oilersnation has learned. McDavid has played through an abdominal injury that likely requires surgery, while Draisaitl has been banged up too, I’ve been told,” Laing wrote.
“He’s believed to be dealing with a broken rib and finger, the former of which suffered in Game 1 against Vancouver when he was hit by Tyler Myers. It’s nothing new for a laundry list of players to be dealing with injuries after deep playoff runs, and surely we’ll hear of more in the coming days,” Laing added.
The Oilers will likely confirm the injuries at the year-end media availability with players and coaches. But, even before Edmonton lost in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers, many people had speculated on McDavid and Draisaitl playing injured.
Oilers’ McDavid Wins Conn Smythe Trophy
Despite the Oilers not winning the Stanley Cup, McDavid was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, which is awarded to the playoff MVP.
“Obviously, it’s an honor with the names on that trophy,” McDavid said, via NHL.com.
McDavid led the NHL in points with 42 and also broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for most playoff assists in a single playoff run.
McDavid was held pointless in Games 6 and 7, as the Panthers played more defensively. But, the former first-overall pick is disappointed with the result.
“We knew it was going to be tight, Game 7 for the Cup,” McDavid said. “We knew it was going to be a real tight game and it was going to come down to one thing here or there. We’re an inch away from going ahead 2-1 before they go ahead 2-1. It’s tough. They do a good job of shutting things down and we had our looks. We just didn’t find it.”
McDavid recorded 8 goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 25 playoff games.
Draisaitl Calls McDavid The Best Player Ever
After the Oilers suffered a 2-1 loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Draisaitl had nothing but praise for his captain.
“He’s the greatest player to ever play in my books,” Draisaitl said. “There are so many things that people don’t see that he does. He single-handedly turned our franchise around, pretty much. I just love sharing the ice with him and he’s a really, really special person.”
McDavid will be a future Hall of Famer and will go down as one of the all-time greats as Draisaitl says, but that didn’t help Edmonton win the Stanley Cup.
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Draisaitl recorded 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 25 games.
Draisaitl is set to enter the final year of an eight-year $68 million deal that pays him $8.5 million per season. He’s eligible for a contract extension come July 1.
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