The Edmonton Oilers took the ice for practice today as they prepare for Game 2 versus the Vancouver Canucks, and star forward Leon Draisaitl was noticeably absent.
Draisaitl appeared to suffer an injury in last night’s Game 1 loss, as he missed a significant chunk of the second period and seemed to be labouring at times in the third. After the game, Kris Knoblauch said it was nothing more than cramping and equipment issues, but that may not be the case.
When asked today following practice on Draisaitl’s condition, head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t give much of an update.
“Leon and Adam are day-to-day,” Knoblauch said. “We’ll let you know tomorrow if they’re playing or not.”
Adam, of course, refers to Adam Henrique, who was forced to miss Game 1 with a lower-body injury. It appears that he has a good shot at suiting up, as he took part in practice this afternoon.
Henrique has proven to be a valuable trade deadline acquisition for the Oilers. In 22 regular season games, he racked up six goals and nine points, while he has a goal and an assist through five playoff games. Prior to his injury, he was playing on the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
While getting Henrique back into the lineup would be good news for the Oilers, having Draisaitl is of far more importance. The German centreman recorded north of 100 points for the fifth time in his career this season and has carried that dominance into the playoffs with five goals and 12 points through six outings. That production was to be expected, as he seems to elevate his game to an entirely new level in the postseason.
Taking Draisaitl’s spot today in practice was Sam Gagner, who was recalled from the AHL late in the season. The 34-year-old has yet to suit up in this year’s playoffs but was solid in a limited stretch with the Oilers this season, registering five goals and 10 points in 28 outings.
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