With the Stanley Cup Final concluded, it's now being revealed that several players were dealing with injuries. Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch disclosed that the team's key players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were both playing through injuries during their pursuit of the Cup.
The Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers, 2-1, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.
Knoblauch addressed the media during the end-of-the-year press conferences, revealing which Oilers players had been battling injuries throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were playing hurt
The Oilers head coach confirmed earlier reports that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were both playing with major injuries during the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final.
McDavid's specific injury remains undisclosed, but reports suggest it is an abdominal injury that will likely need surgery.
“With Connor's I'm not sure what the process is going to be and how bad it was. I don't have very much information,” said Knoblauch
Draisaitl, who performed exceptionally well in the first two playoff rounds but slowed down considerably in the Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, was dealing with injuries to both his hand and ribs.
Leon Draisaitl wasn't his usual self in the final two rounds
Leon Draisaitl was exceptional in the first pair of rounds, amassing 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) over 12 matchups against the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks.
However, his performance dipped in the subsequent 13 games, where he managed just seven points (two goals, five assists), likely affected by the injuries mentioned earlier. In total, he ended the playoffs with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 25 games, placing third in the league behind McDavid and Evan Bouchard in scoring.
“Leon, battling things throughout the playoffs. Ribs, hands… Certain times it was worse than others. There were games where I wasn’t sure he was going to play. But he fought through it and played very well in those games,” Knoblauch hinted that Draisaitl might have been coping with multiple injuries in each area via ESPN.
Knoblauch also touched on the status of Evander Kane’s injuries stating, “And then Evander with the sports hernia, something that’s been bothering him throughout the season. And it got to the point where it just limited his game. And unfortunately, we missed him.”
Good things for Edmonton
Connor McDavid topped the playoffs with eight goals and 34 assists, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
The Oilers dominated the postseason scoring charts with the top four scorers being Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and defenseman Evan Bouchard.
Edmonton had high expectations at the start of the season but stumbled out of the gate, managing only a disappointing 3-9-1 record.
In November, the Oilers dismissed head coach Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Knoblauch. Following the change, the team embarked on a remarkable 16-game winning streak, coming close to an NHL record in the process.They ended the season with a 49-27-6 record, securing second place in the Pacific Division.
Several players achieved significant milestones, such as McDavid, who reached 100 assists, and Hyman, who scored 54 goals.
Future challenges for the Oilers
One player who encountered challenges during the season was Connor Brown. The 30-year-old forward joined the Oilers on a one-year contract in free agency last summer but faced difficulties recovering from knee surgery.
During the regular season, Brown recorded just four goals and eight assists in 71 games. In the playoffs, however, he only managed to contribute two goals and four assists in 19 games.
The Oilers roster includes 10 unrestricted free agents, with decisions also looming on two restricted free agents. The team can begin negotiating extensions with key players starting Monday, including Draisaitl, although the star forward indicated he hasn't given much thought to his future plans.
At present, Draisaitl and his teammates are reflecting on the ups and downs of their season. While the Oilers didn't secure the Stanley Cup, McDavid expressed confidence that the team is capable of reaching that pinnacle in the future.
“We’ve sat up here before and told you how bad we want to win and, looking back, we were miles away from it. And now we’re one shot away from it,” McDavid said.
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