Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl doubtful to play against Jets on Thursday; Evander Kane skates with team

One of the big guns on the Edmonton Oilers roster might not be in the lineup for a big game on Thursday night.

When speaking to the media after morning skate, head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that forward Leon Draisaitl is doubtful for that night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets and that he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

It isn’t clear what exactly is ailing the German star. Draisaitl did take an awkward fall during the Oilers’ 7-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday. Surprisingly, Drasaitl failed to register a point.

Draisaitl was one of the four big names who didn’t skate with the team during practice on Wednesday. He, captain Connor McDavid, defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Zach Hyman all were absent from the skate, with Knoblauch admitting the quartet was banged up and might not be in the lineup. However, McDavid, Hyman and Ekholm were taking normal line rushes during Edmonton’s morning skate.

If Draisaitl were to miss the marquee matchup with the Jets, it would be the first time this season that he has missed a game. The 29-year-old has appeared in each of the Oilers’ first 68 games, leading the league in goals (49), just one away from becoming the first player to hit the half-century mark in goals this season. With 101 points, Draisaitl is second in the NHL in scoring behind Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon. The next closest player in scoring behind Draisaitl in Edmonton is McDavid, who has 89 points in 62 games.

The last game Drasaitl missed was the final game of the 2023-24 regular season against the Avs.

Also notable from Thursday’s morning skate was the presence of Evander Kane.

The power forward has not been with the team as he has been recovering from multiple surgeries that took place over the past six months. He underwent abdominal surgery before the season started before getting knee surgery in January. It was previously announced that Kane will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

The Oilers (40-24-4) are second in the Pacific Division, two points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for first place.