Disaster in Edmonton: Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season
Marc-Olivier Cook
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Credit: Capture d'écran / X
Phew. Big news in Edmonton. The Oilers announced just moments ago that Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. It's unclear whether he'll be able to return to action for the playoffs. This is obviously a huge blow to the team.
This is a tough blow for the team, and it complicates things a bit as the season winds down in Alberta.
Because as of this writing, the Oilers are in 3rd place in their division… but the Kings (71 points) and the Sharks (70 points) aren't too far behind either.
Connor McDavid is going to have to step up in Edmonton, to put it another way. The Oilers' playoff spot could be in jeopardy, after all…
(Credit: NHL.com)
Seeing the Oilers miss the playoffs would truly be a disaster.
Connor McDavid just signed a two-year contract extension (which begins this summer) because he wants to win in Edmonton. He wants to hoist the coveted trophy in an Oilers uniform, as the team sold him on a plan to keep him in town.
But now… everything could change pretty quickly. That's what happens, though, when you have two superstars on your team and struggle to build a solid supporting cast around them. When you lose one, everything automatically gets harder… because the rest of the group isn't able to contribute enough to win games on a consistent basis. And clearly, it'll be interesting to see if that's going to be the case with the Oilers by the end of the season. No pressure, Connor…
Celebrini vs. McDavid tonight. A majority of goals are scored from the slot, and nobody comes close to Connor in terms of getting pucks there. Celebrini is one of four players with 400+ slot driving plays this season… pic.twitter.com/NuaYIYgkpl — Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) March 17, 2026
– That's crazy too.
The Miami Dolphins' dead money for this season is now over $175 million.