Advertisement

Oilers captain Connor McDavid to miss 2-3 weeks with ankle injury

McDavid was injured during his first shift in Monday's loss to the Blue Jackets.

sean leahy
Contributing writer
·1 min read
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates while awaiting a faceoff during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Rogers Place on October 25, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images)
Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers is set to miss time with an ankle injury, the team announced Wednesday. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images)

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid will miss two to three weeks after he suffered an ankle injury during Monday night's 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Oilers captain went down 37 seconds into his first shift of the game after being tripped up by Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski. McDavid fell awkwardly into the boards and did not return to the game.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that McDavid would return to Edmonton to be evaluated. The team is currently on a four-game road trip that wraps up Sunday night in Calgary.

"It's your captain, your best player. It should be an opportunity for guys to step up and say, 'Oh, I've got this,'" Knoblauch said. "It's more ice time, more opportunities."

Through 10 games, McDavid, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, is tied for the Oilers' team lead in scoring (with Leon Draisaitl) with 10 points.

"He's our leader and also the best player in the game. So, of course you're going to feel it," Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said on Monday "We've got to do a better job of stepping up when a guy like that goes down."

Forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula have been recalled from AHL Bakersfield.