Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid left practice on Tuesday after a collision with teammate Darnell Nurse, sparking concern among fans about the severity of his injury.
McDavid, the centerpiece of the Oilers’ offense, leads the team with 30 assists this season while ranking second in points with 44 and goals with 14.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch was quick to reassure that the situation didn’t appear to be dire, and McDavid shouldn’t miss ample time, if any.
“I have not talked to [head therapist] T.D. [Forss], but I think he’s doing all right,” Knoblauch said after practice, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman. “If he wasn’t, I’m sure I would have gotten an update right away.”
McDavid’s availability for the Oilers’ Wednesday night game against the Boston Bruins at Rogers Place, however, remains unclear for now.
The Oilers are coming off a stinging 6-5 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday in a Stanley Cup Final rematch. The Oilers fell to the Panthers in seven games in June.
The loss ended Edmonton’s five-game winning streak, and the Oilers take an 18-11-2 record into Wednesday’s contest.
Oilers center Connor McDavid against the Panthers. Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, McDavid is on pace for another 100-point campaign. Although he missed time in late October due to a lower-body injury, McDavid returned to form quickly and is averaging 1.57 points per game in 28 appearances.
Even if McDavid misses a few more games from now to mid-April, the superstar forward should easily clear the 100-point barrier for the eighth time in his 10-year career.
