Connor McDavid's ankle issue gives the Oilers a problem they cannot ignore
Connor McDavid's ankle issue is now out in the open, and Kris Knoblauch has a real problem on his hands in Edmonton.
This is honestly the worst case for Edmonton, as Anaheim now has the opportunity to target #97's ankle.
This happened last playoffs, where the LA Kings targeted Draisaitl's foot, which was revealed to be injured.
For anyone still wondering whether McDavid was skating at full flight, that doubt took a hit Saturday.
Jim Matheson reported on X that the Oilers captain is dealing with an ankle issue.
That matters because this never looked like a routine off night.
When McDavid loses a step through the neutral zone, the whole shape of Edmonton's attack changes with it.
Matheson didn't stop at the ankle, either.
He also raised the possibility of a sore hand after a stretch of fumbled pucks, which only adds more tension around a player who still scored 48 goals.
-
That's the part that jumps off the page.
McDavid can still put up star numbers and still not look like himself. Those two things can be true at the same time in late April.
And when the best player on the roster looks merely mortal for even a game and a half, the bench feels it, the locker room feels it, and every matchup gets tighter.
Connor McDavid injury suddenly changes the feel of Oilers-Ducks series
Knoblauch now has to decide whether to keep leaning on McDavid in his usual spots or protect him a little more.
That's not a small call when your captain drives the power play and your top line.
The Oilers finished the season at 41-30-11 with 93 points.
Edmonton's 282 goals show there is still enough offense to survive stretches.
But McDavid is the player who forces coverage to break, and an ankle issue cuts right into that part of his game.
That's why this report lands hard. It's not just about pain tolerance.
It's about edge work, separation, puck support, and whether McDavid can still attack defenders off the rush the way he usually does.
The Oilers just beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 in their last regular-season game.
On the surface, that score suggests calm.
Underneath it, this report changes the mood around the club.
Nothing about Matheson's post sounded dramatic for effect.
It read like what it was: a veteran Oilers reporter putting a real concern into the open after watching McDavid closely.
Now the question shifts from suspicion to consequence.
If McDavid is managing an ankle issue, Edmonton's entire ceiling gets harder to project, no matter how dangerous the roster still looks on paper.
|
LIVE
APRIL 25, 2026
| ||||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Mike Amadio | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Drake Batherson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Thomas Chabot | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Nick Cousins | - | - | - | |
| Dylan Cozens | - | - | - | |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | - | - | - | |
| Lars Eller | - | - | - | |
| Warren Foegele | - | - | - | |
| Dennis Gilbert | - | - | - | |
| Claude Giroux | - | - | - | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | - | - | |
| Ridly Greig | - | - | - | |
| Taylor Hall | - | - | - | |
| Mark Jankowski | - | - | - | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||