The Edmonton Oilers sustained more than just a 6-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of the first-round series in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
During the second period of the game, Oilers Nation lost its collective breath when superstar Connor McDavid ran into teammate Mattias Ekholm. The entanglement looked scary, leaving the Edmonton captain in pain.
He gritted through the rest of the shift, but left to go to the room. Here’s a look at the play:
Fortunately, McDavid returned and finished the game. Given that situation, plus the nature of the injury itself, a renowned medical expert, Dr. Harjas Grewal, believes that McDavid should be fine and not miss any time.
That’s fantastic news for Oilers fans who might have been losing sleep over the possibility of the best player in the world leaving the lineup due to injury.
While McDavid might be sore, that’s par for the course in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The expectation is that the Oilers’ superstar should be fine moving forward.
Oilers Already Down Several Key Players
The last thing the Oilers need is another key player hitting the shelf. Edmonton is already down two crucial forwards in Jason Dickinson and Adam Henrique. Both forwards missed Game 2 against the Ducks with various injuries.
The 36-year-old Henrique left early in Game 1 against the Ducks with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear at this point what the precise ailment is. He’s officially day-to-day, but Kris Knoblauch did not seem optimistic that Henrique would be back soon.
More information should be forthcoming about Henrique’s status ahead of Game 3.
Meanwhile, Dickinson has been dealing with an ongoing issue. He has played through it, but it appears that it was bad enough to keep him out of the lineup for Game 2.
The Oilers trade deadline acquisition has been battling with a lower-body injury. He was questionable for Game 1 against Anaheim, but played and scored a gorgeous goal. He missed Game 2 and looks doubtful for Game 3.
The Oil will need both Henrique and Dickinson lest the team drops Game 3 and falls into an uncomfortable 2-1 hole against the Ducks.
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Edmonton’s Depth Tested Early in Playoffs
The Oilers’ depth has seen an early test in the 2026 NHL playoffs. Josh Samanski and Curtis Lazar drew into the lineup for Game 2 on Wednesday night.
The moves paid off with Samanski scoring a huge goal late in the third period. The fourth-liner tied the game at the 13-minute mark of the third. He hit the ice for over 11 minutes across 19 shifts, with his goal being the highlight of the night.
As for Lazar, he saw action for 12 shifts, totaling eight minutes of ice time. Lazar didn’t have as exciting a night as Samanski, but should be no less important.
Both depth pieces will be crucial once again, especially if Dickinson and Henrique remain out of the lineup. For now, Samanski’s play has made the absence of Dickinson, a center, a little more tolerable.
Even if Dickinson returns for Game 3, Samanski may move to the wing to remain in the lineup.
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