Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl unlikely to play for Oilers this week

The Edmonton Oilers have three games left in March, but superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are unlikely to suit up for any of those matchups, according to Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor.

Following a 5-4 victory over the Pacific Division rival Seattle Kraken on Saturday – with neither McDavid nor Draisaitl in the lineup – the Oilers will return to action Wednesday against the Dallas Stars before heading to Seattle on Thursday for the a rematch with the Kraken. The Oilers will then close out March on home ice Saturday against the rival Calgary Flames. As Gregor reports, McDavid and Draisaitl are not expected to appear in any of the three contests.

On the season, Draisaitl headlines the Oilers with 101 points coming in 68 games, while his 49 goals are tops league-wide, 11 more than second-place William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Draisaitl has been sidelined for the past two games due to an undisclosed injury.

For McDavid, the Oilers captain exited late in the second period of last Thursday’s contest against the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets after suffering an apparent lower-body injury. On Friday, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that both McDavid and Draisaitl would undergo medical imaging in order for the Oilers to better understand the extent of their respective injuries as well as their estimated timelines to return to the lineup.

Through 63 appearances with the Oilers this season, McDavid has tallied 26 goals and 64 assists for 90 points, good for second in team scoring behind only Draisaitl. With 12 games remaining in the Oilers’ regular season schedule, a timely return could see McDavid eclipse the 100-point plateau for the fifth-consecutive season.

For the Oilers, on the season the club sits 41-24-5 to rank third in the Pacific Division behind the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights.