'Maybe It Speeds Up A Little': Kris Knoblauch Gives A New Connor McDavid Injury Update

EDMONTON -- "He's the best player in the world, so we're certainly going to miss him."

Truer words have never been spoken by Leon Draisaitl. As the Edmonton Oilers navigate playing games without Connor McDavid, Draisaitl believes in the chance it gives other players to prove themselves.

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"It also creates a lot of opportunities, a lot of looks for other players," Draisaitl revealed to the media after their 5-1 victory against the Nashville Predators. "I thought everyone did a good job of that tonight."

Today, the Oilers prepare for a rematch of the Battle of Alberta. They play the Calgary Flames tomorrow night in what will certainly be a heated game.

The practice also featured an update to the media on Captain Connor.

"Not much has changed, maybe it speeds up a little bit," head coach Kris Knoblauch told the media after Saturday's practice. "It's still going to be that two, three weeks. Probably closer to two weeks than three weeks."

Two weeks without McDavid isn't impossible to withstand. As for where he is at in his recovery Knoblauch had a simple answer.

"He went on the ice for a few moments. I wouldn't call it skating," Knoblauch revealed.

It's a terrific sign for the team that their star player is already taking to the ice post-injury. If the team can focus on their scoring chances and continue putting the puck in the back of the net, they won't feel his absence as harshly.

And that's some good fortune that turned around for them against the Predators.

"We were able to finish on our opportunities, which is something that we haven't been able to do earlier this year," Knoblauch said to the media.

Any success without the best player on the planet is still a success. The team mindset is one they will need to carry through with them till the post-season.

While they will still miss him, they must focus on what is ahead. On Sunday night at 6:00 p.m., Mountain Time it will be the Flames.

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