As confirmed by the Edmonton Oilers through an official statement, Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season. The German star sustained a lower-body injury against the Nashville Predators on March 15. Although Kris Knoblauch expected Draisaitl’s setback to be short-term, the latest injury update has proved the head coach wrong in the 2025-26 NHL season.
In the blink of an eye, the tide has changed for the Oilers. In the NHL, much can happen in such a short time, and Edmonton is the latest franchise to learn that lesson. On Monday, Knoblauch provided an encouraging injury update on Draisaitl. “It shouldn’t be a really long injury,” Knoblauch said. Less than 24 hours later, he stands corrected.
Regardless, Knoblauch can’t dwell on the fact that he mistakenly assumed Draisaitl’s absence would be brief. More importantly, the head coach in the “Gateway to the North” must find a way to keep the Oilers afloat. Edmonton is hanging on to a playoff spot by the skin of its teeth. Without its second-best player—and Connor McDavid’s sidekick—the climb becomes much steeper.
How many games will Draisaitl miss?
Draisaitl will be sidelined for the last 14 games of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Moreover, 8 of those 14 outings will come against Pacific Division teams. That means over half of the remaining games will be divisional showdowns for the Edmonton Oilers. Having a star player miss time is never ideal, but when it happens in the home stretch of the campaign, the impact is even greater.
Oilers could be in trouble without Draisaitl
If there’s a silver lining for Knoblauch and the Oilers, it may lie in the fact that they will face the seventh-easiest remaining schedule in terms of strength of schedule, per Tankathon.
On the other hand, concerns may grow, as all six clubs with an easier schedule are in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the West. Moreover, four of them are divisional rivals of Edmonton: the Los Angeles Kings (easiest remaining schedule), Anaheim Ducks (second-easiest), San Jose Sharks (fourth), and Vegas Golden Knights (sixth).