Connor McDavid, a five-time NHL scoring champion, is expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks due to an ankle injury he suffered on his first shift during the Edmonton Oilers’ 6-1 road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
McDavid won the opening face-off, but his only shift lasted 37 seconds. He was tripped by Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski while attempting to enter the offensive zone, causing him to crash awkwardly into the right-wing boards. Although he got up, McDavid skated gingerly to the Oilers’ bench, visibly favoring his left leg. He did not return to the game and was sent back to Edmonton for further evaluation.
The Oilers announced McDavid’s absence on Wednesday as they prepare to continue their three-game road trip against the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
“He’s our leader and also the best player in the game, so of course you’re going to feel it,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said after the loss. “We have to do a better job of stepping up when a guy like that goes down.”
The 27-year-old center is the NHL’s most dynamic offensive player, having claimed the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer five times and the Hart Trophy as MVP three times. In June, he was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, despite the Oilers’ loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Final.
Despite averaging 21:41 of ice time over his nine-plus NHL seasons, McDavid has maintained impressive health. Apart from a broken collarbone that cost him 37 games in his 2015-16 rookie season, he’s missed only 19 games since. The Oilers hold a 6-8-5 record in games without him in the lineup.
Edmonton managed just one win in six games last season without McDavid. He missed five games due to injuries and was a scratch in their regular-season finale.
