As is the case with many teams during the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers appear to be a banged-up bunch right now.
While you won’t hear any excuses from them while their series against the Florida Panthers continues, several of their injuries have been discussed by credible insiders and may partially explain why they have just one goal through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. Here are four players that are said to be battling injuries:
Leon Draisaitl
The most impactful of the bunch is Leon Draisaitl, who hasn’t looked himself as of late. The 28-year-old had just four points in six games of the Western Conference Final (WCF) versus the Dallas Stars, and has only five points through his last nine outings.
A clip surfaced last night of Draisaitl exiting the ice after a shift in the second period and heading straight down the tunnel. It was also well-noted that he seemed to suffer an injury early in the Oilers’ second-round series versus the Vancouver Canucks, which could still be nagging.
Evander Kane
Before the playoffs even began, Evander Kane told reporters that he had been dealing with a sports hernia for the vast majority of the season. The 32-year-old has rarely been practicing throughout this run, which is a clear indication that he is playing at less than 100%.
Normally, this type of physical series in which the Oilers find themselves would be where Kane thrives. Instead, his ice time has been limited, and it’s been pointed out by several analysts that he seemingly isn’t able to sit on the bench, choosing to remain standing when he isn’t on the ice.
Adam Henrique
Adam Henrique suffered an ankle injury during the Oilers’ first-round series versus the LA Kings and was limited to just one game against the Vancouver Canucks as a result. He wound up suiting up for the final four games of the WCF and has played in both games so far against the Panthers.
While Henrique has played relatively well since his return, the fact he was forced to miss so much time suggests he is gutting it out more than being back to 100% healthy. That’s a big blow for the Oilers, who gave up a first-round pick to acquire him at the trade deadline.
Darnell Nurse
Though Darnell Nurse’s struggles throughout the playoffs haven’t been attributed to injury, it was clear that he suffered one last night. After taking a hit from Evan Rodrigues at roughly the midway point of the first period, he went down the tunnel several times and wound up sitting on the bench for the entire second period.
Nurse was able to play a few shifts in the third, but logged just 16:09 in ice time, the lowest of all Oilers defencemen. Head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t have an update on him afterward, but it’s clear that something is bothering him.
Oilers fans speculate on others
While there seems to be sufficient evidence that the four above are all playing hurt, there has been speculation that others are battling injuries as well. When they were playing against the Canucks, former NHL official Tim Peel said that he heard Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman were both banged up.
Hearing Connor McDavid is dealing with an injury and Zach Hyman is banged up as well. Every team has injuries but this will be a challenge for #LetsGoOilers if they are to beat the #Canucks
— Tim Peel (@TimCPeel20) May 17, 2024
As Kevin Bieksa alluded to on the panel last night, the Stanley Cup Final often comes down to which team is healthier than the other. Though there are almost certainly players on the Panthers that are dinged up as well, it’s clear that the Oilers as a whole are playing at less than 100%.
That is quite troublesome as they find themselves in a 2-0 hole, though they have a chance to get back into the series with a win in Game 3 on Thursday night.
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