Oilers Reveal Full Extent of Connor McDavid’s Playoff Injury

The hockey world knew Connor McDavid was not himself after the Game 2 collision, when defenseman Mattias Ekholm rolled up on his leg after a battle with Ian Moore. It was thought that perhaps an ankle sprain was nagging the Edmonton Oilers captain; however, on Saturday, we learned it was even more serious than that.

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According to head coach Kris Knoblauch, both McDavid and Jason Dickinson were playing through fractures in the foot/ankle area. He praised his players for gutting through the pain to be there for the team when they needed them most.

Knoblauch said:

“Both Connor and Dickinson had fractures in the foot/ankle area. I have a lot and admiration for their willingness to battle through and get on the ice,”

The 29-year-old McDavid finishes these playoffs with six points (one goal, five assists) and a minus-8 rating in six games, after racking up 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) while being a plus-17 in 82 games during the regular season. He will, of course, enter the first year of the two-year, $25 million extension he signed with the Oilers in October next season.

Connor McDavid Playing Through Injury

A fracture in the foot/ankle area certainly explains the version of McDavid we saw from Game 2 onward, though that version is still one of the best players in the world, as we saw at times in this series.

It’s fair to wonder just how different the outcome might have been if McDavid were closer to full health, though every player is banged up at this time of the year, so nobody wants to make those kinds of excuses.

McDavid and company will now need to take advantage of a longer offseason with far less wear and tear on the body in order to hit the ground running in 2026–27, with the hope of getting back to a Stanley Cup Final and winning it this time.

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