Draisaitl has missed three practices in a row and will be held out of the lineup with an eye injury that he suffered when he was high-sticked on Monday. With Drasaitl out, Kailer Yamamoto is expected to play on the Oilers’ top line.
Draisaitl, 20, has been recalled because the Oilers are in need of a top-6 forward. Draisaitl has scored one goal with one assist in six games with Bakersfield and many reports suggest that Draisaitl has been the Condors’ best forward this season. He is expected to make his season debut tonight on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall.
Draisaitl, 19, opened the season as the Oilers’ second line centre. The experiment did not really go as planned. He registered nine points (2G / 7A) in 37 games and now heads back to the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. It is best for Draisaitl’s development, especially in a tough year for Edmonton.
Draisaitl did not practice on Monday and his status for Tuesday’s game vs. the Kings is up in the air. Monitor his status during the Oilers’ morning skate on Tuesday.
Drasaitl has a career-high ice-time of 15:22, but he will likely top that tonight while playing with Hall and Purcell. He has five points (2G / 3A) with a minus-6 rating in the first 19 games of his NHL career.
Draisaitl, 19, scored his first NHL goal last Friday and sits with three points (1G / 2A) in hie first nine NHL games. Game 39 becomes the new deadline, if he goes back to junior before that time he will lose the first year of his ELC, but none of his unrestricted free agent status.
