Seven days before the outdoor game, the Oilers announced that McDavid was out with an upper-body injury, expected to keep him off the ice for one to two weeks.
McDavid suffered the injury in Saturday’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets, likely late in the game. The 26-year-old missed the final minutes of regulation and didn’t take a shift in overtime of the Oilers 3-2 loss.
During the final minutes of the third period, McDavid skated off the ice gingerly, grabbing his right side. Meanwhile, amateur lip readers picked up something catastrophic.
After announcing that McDavid will miss only a few weeks at most, it’s probably a stretch to believe he “tore something,” but only time will tell.
Despite the team’s sluggish start, McDavid has been his usual self, registering at least a point in all five of the Oilers games. The former No. 1 overall pick is tied for third in the NHL in points with eight (two goals, six assists).
Edmonton, already off to a slow 1-3-1 start, could be in for a rough ride without McDavid, as they might be doing so short-handed. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic pointed out that the Oilers’ roster is at the minimum number (18 skaters, two goalies), and they’re without cap space to call up a skater from the minor leagues.
Luckily, Edmonton has only five games over the next 14 days, or McDavid’s injury could hurt much worse.
The Oilers and the NHL would undoubtedly love McDavid to be available for the outdoor showcase in a week. However, the season is still young, so the team would be wise to treat the injury with the utmost caution.
