McDavid is eyeing a return when the Oilers resume play after the All-Star break. To make that a real possibility, the 2015 No. 1 overall pick will practice with Bakersfield over the break. He will not appear in any games, but will practice and could be back in the lineup next Tuesday (Feb. 2nd) vs. the Blue Jackets.
In December, there appeared to be hope for McDavid to return in early January, but the Oilers will play it safe with their future superstar and hold him out of the lineup for the remainder of January. He could travel with the Oilers on their upcoming road trip to practice with the team, but don’t expect to see him in the lineup until early February.
As many feared, McDavid did in fact suffer a broken collarbone on Tuesday night and will miss multiple months. McDavid will undergo surgery on Wednesday, but it sounds like he will be back in the lineup before the end of the 2015-16 season. The best case scenario appears to be that McDavid will miss 8-12 weeks, which could have him back in the lineup in mid-to-late January, but it could be much longer.
McDavid crashed hard into the end boards late in the second period and got up clutching his shoulder. It was a heavy collision and the Oilers should provide the media with an update following the contest or on Wednesday.
McDavid becomes the Oilers fourth 1st overall pick in the last six years. The 18-year-old phenom has dominated the OHL for the last two seasons and was the consensus number-1 overall pick coming into the draft. He finished the 2014-15 season with 44 goals and 76 assists (120 points) in 47 games with Erie. He did not slow down in the playoffs either, tallying 49 points (21G / 28A) in 20 contests. He wraps up his junior career with 97 goals and 188 assists (285 points) in 166 career regular season games.
