Edmonton Oilers
Latest Details as Leon Draisaitl Takes Leave of Absence From Oilers
All we know about Leon Draisaitl’s leave of absence from the Edmonton Oilers.
As they prepared to bounce back from a 1–0 shutout loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday night, the Edmonton Oilers and their fans learned of surprising news that they will be without Leon Draisaitl for the next few games.
Draisaitl will be taking a leave of absence to travel to Germany and attend to a family illness. His absence is expected to last about a week, which could mean Edmonton is without one half of its two-headed monster for four, possibly five games.
The Oilers shared the news on X on Saturday afternoon.
“Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl will be taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness in Germany. He is expected to return to the team later next week.
On behalf of Leon, the club asks for privacy at this time,”
The 30-year-old is in the midst of another tremendous campaign, having racked up 67 points (25 goals, 42 assists) in 48 games thus far. He’s in year one of the eight-year, $112 million extension he signed with the Oilers in 2024.
How Will the Oilers Lineup Without Leon Draisaitl?
While everyone is undoubtedly hoping for the best regarding Draisaitl and his family, the Oilers must now turn their attention to how they’ll find success without him, beginning Saturday night against Vancouver.
Draisaitl centered Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen on Thursday, and now that he’s sidelined, head coach Kris Knoblauch has done some additional shuffling with his forward lines.
Play-by-play voice Jack Michaels shared Edmonton’s updated look up front that they’ll start with against the Canucks.
The trio of Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins that was so hot it generated Team Canada buzz has been split up, with Nugent-Hopkins moving back to center the second line. Meanwhile, Andrew Mangiapane—who has been the subject of constant trade chatter—re-enters the lineup for just the third time since the New Year.
If there’s anything positive to point to during this difficult situation, it’s that Draisaitl’s absence could provide an opportunity for others to step up—something the Oilers certainly need if they want to make another run at a Stanley Cup. Not to mention, their upcoming games come against Vancouver, St. Louis, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh, all of whom are either near the bottom of the standings or very beatable on a given night.
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