Connor McDavid suffered an ankle injury during the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coincidence or not, the Oilers lost their best player to injury and conceded a frustrating blowout. An Edmonton star has spoken up and issued a strong warning to the players on the team.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has not been able to replicate his stellar 2022/23 NHL season in which he surpassed the 100-point mark. However, he has become a staple player inside the locker room and a part of the team’s core. During last season’s Stanley Cup Final run, Nugent-Hopkins contributed with 22 points in 25 games played.
Edmonton’s start to the season has fallen far short of expectations. The team is currently second-to-last in the Pacific Division, with nine points over the first ten games. However, the Oilers also started slowly last season and still made the final round of the Playoffs, so fans should know by now not to hit the panic button just yet.
However, the team does need to play with some more urgency and with McDavid’s absence for some weeks, more players need to step up and help the Oilers get past their slump. Nugent-Hopkins sent his teammates a strong message after McDavid’s injury.
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers warms up before the game against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on October 13, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“I mean, of course, he’s our leader and also the best player in the game,” Hopkins told the media after the game. “Of course, you’re going to feel it. We got to do a better job of stepping up when a guy like that goes down, though.”
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How much time will McDavid miss?
According to reports, the Oilers centerman will be sidelined for two to three weeks after sustaining an ankle injury. The incident ocurred in the very first drive of the Oilers game against the Jackets. Though McDavid walked off the ice on his own, he headed to the locker room and was ruled out for the game.
After the game, Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch commented: “It’s more ice time, more opportunity. It’s tough any time you’re playing without your best player, but it’s something that we’re going to have to. Obviously, our team’s going to look different.”
McDavid will miss some action for the second consecutive season. In the 2023/24 campaign he played in 76 out of the 82 games.
Notable games McDavid would miss
Considering McDavid will be out of the lineup during a jam-packed stretch of the schedule, the Oilers will be without their franchise cornerstone for some intense matchups. The team’s depth will be put to the test and they must step up in their Captain’s absence. Some of the biggest matchups in which McDavid likely won’t participate are:
- at Calgary Flames on November 3rd
- vs Vegas Golden Knights on November 6th
- at Vancouver Canucks on November 10th
- at Toronto Maple Leafs on November 16th
