Details Emerge on Potential Length of Leon Draisaitl’s Injury Absence

** Update: Leon Draisaitl will not play Tuesday night for the Oilers as they take on the San Jose Sharks. Having said that, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed the injury is day to day and he could miss only the one game. There is a chance he’s out for two or three, but it shouldn’t be longer than that. The Oilers will know more later tonight or tomorrow.

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The last thing the Edmonton Oilers needed right now was an injury to one of their star players — yet that’s unfortunately what happened to Leon Draisaitl on Sunday night.

An awkward hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt left the superstar center in immediate discomfort, and he gingerly made his way off the ice without returning. The Oilers have said Draisaitl is dealing with a lower-body injury, and while no timetable has been provided, Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos believes it could be a few weeks before he returns, speculating it may be a knee injury similar to the one Sidney Crosby suffered at the Olympics.

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Kypreos said:

“So I think 15 or 14 games left for the Edmonton Oilers, I hear perhaps many of them may be without Leon Draisaitl. He took a hit Sunday night, Ozzy Wiesblatt. Another star now with a hit, I don’t know, I’ve only seen the hit once or twice, I think it looked okay… Perhaps, you know, a suspected knee injury here, which may fall into that category, kind of like Sid Crosby, maybe week to week here. If he finds a way to get a few games in at the end of the season, I think it would be a good thing. But we’ll see how it goes. What I’m told is week to week right now for Leon,”

The 30-year-old Draisaitl is in the midst of another tremendous season, having racked up 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) through 65 games. He is just three points shy of recording his fifth consecutive 100-point season and seventh of his NHL career.

Crosby, of course, suffered what is believed to be an MCL sprain stemming from a Radko Gudas hit in the Olympic quarterfinals back on February 18. Almost a full month later, the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar has yet to return, though he does appear close to getting back into game action.

While we don’t know for certain whether Draisaitl is dealing with the same or a similar type of injury, if what Kypreos is hearing is accurate, the Oilers will be in tough pushing for the playoffs without one half of their two-headed monster.

If they are able to tread water with him on the shelf, it could, however, end up being beneficial to have a healthy, rested Draisaitl ready for what they hope will be another long postseason.

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