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The lack of updates regarding the latest Leon Draisaitl injury has led one notable medical expert to shed light on the mystery ailment.
The operative word regarding the Leon Draisaitl injury is “mum.” The Edmonton Oilers have been quite skittish about revealing any sort of concrete information on the star center’s actual injury situation.
The official position has been that Draisaitl will miss the remainder of the regular season and reevaluate at that time.
Leon Draisaitl’s health remains a mystery.
Oilers say he won’t play in the regular season. What they won’t say is that he’ll return for the playoffs.
“Right now the timeline we’re using is the end of the regular season. Once the playoffs start we will reevaluate.” – Knoblauch
The vague update regarding the Draisaitl injury offers very little insight into what actually went wrong. If anything, the lack of apparent transparency signals that something might be seriously wrong.
That something could be a significant knee injury. According to medical expert, Dr. Harjas Grewal, the mystery ailment could be an MCL injury.
Different video suggests potentially a left knee issue for Draisaitl?
Some inner stress so maybe MCL?
Surprised he’s out rest of reg season considering he played another shift and there seemed to be optimism prior to today too but clearly MRI found something https://t.co/BSHZjvblQU
— Dr. Harjas Grewal (@Harjas_Grewal) March 18, 2026
Now, as for a strain or even a tear, that’s something only the Oilers team doctors really know about. But judging from the situation, Grewal might be onto something.
The Oilers are by no means taking this Draisaitl injury lightly. Nevertheless, GM Stan Bowman remains optimistic.
“You have to see how his recovery goes, but if everything goes as scheduled, and we’ll have a better feel for that as we get closer to the end, the expectation is it’ll just be until the end of the regular season,” Bowman told the Edmonton Journal.
So, if there’s a good chance that Draisaitl returns for the playoffs, the injury might not be THAT bad.
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Not the First Time Oilers Get Draisaitl Injury Late in Season
Unfortunately for the Oilers, it’s not the first time they’ve had a Leon Draisaitl injury late in the season. Last year, Draisaitl missed 11 total games. But this season, that figure will jump to 17. The star forward will likely end the season with 32 goals and 97 points in 65 games.
That seems to be the situation again this season. The Oilers will be without Connor McDavid’s running mate. And that’s something that should concern fans.
Unlike other seasons, the Oilers are from secure in a playoff spot. Falling off the radar is certainly possible. That’s why this Draisaitl injury could not have come at a worse time. The club needs to land as many points as possible heading into the final month of the season.
Oilers Hoping for Team Effort Moving Forward
The only thing the Oilers can really hope for at this point is a complete team effort. The club will need to make up the slack for Draisaitl’s production.
In their 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night, 13 different Oilers players grabbed at least one point. That’s something that Bowman and the rest of the organization expect will happen during the Draisaitl injury.
Otherwise, the team will become even more top-heavy, relying on McDavid, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard to carry the offensive load.
The hope remains that Draisaitl will be back by the start of Game 1 of the Oilers’ first-round playoff series. In the meantime, the Oilers are expected to move Draisaitl’s cap hit to LTIR and free up some much-needed space to call up bodies to round out the roster.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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