Oilers May Benefit From Having McDavid and Draisaitl Out

While any injury isn’t ideal, those listed above are ones this Oilers team is deep enough to manage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. Both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid recently suffered injuries and are both expected to miss roughly a week’s time. These injuries will severely hurt the Oilers’ chances of catching the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division, though it could wind up benefitting them as a team in the long run.

Time for Others to Step Up

Though the Oilers have had a good season with a 40-24-5 record, they’ve had many individuals who have disappointed. At the top of that list is Zach Hyman. The 32-year-old blew up last season with a career-high 54 goals. Those same totals weren’t expected in 2024-25, though most would have thought he’d sit at more than 25 through 63 games. On top of that, he’s recorded just 15 assists.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has shown life as of late, but has largely disappointed as well with 17 goals and 45 points through 68 games. While not a line driver, he is a player who has proven in the past he’s capable of producing much better offensive numbers. The Oilers will need to see that version of him if they hope to go on a deep run in the playoffs.

Another who has really disappointed up front is Jeff Skinner. The Oilers signed the 32-year-old in free agency believing he would be a great fit alongside Draisaitl. Getting the chance to play alongside one of the game’s best had many thinking he would notch north of 30 goals. Instead, he has just 13 goals and 23 points through 59 outings.

Others including Viktor Arvidsson and Adam Henrique have also contributed far less offensively than what was expected of them. It’s actually somewhat remarkable how well the Oilers have done standings-wise given the struggles of some of their more important forwards.

Last but not least is Evan Bouchard. Like Nugent-Hopkins, he’s picked up his play as of late, but his 2024-25 season overall has been a disappointment. The defensive lapses are frustrating but expected. What wasn’t expected was his offence to take a significant drop. After 82 points a season ago, he has just 54 through 69 games.

While the offensive struggles of the players mentioned indicate the Oilers will struggle without McDavid and Draisaitl in the lineup, it could be a blessing in disguise. Head coach Kris Knoblauch has no choice but to rely on the players mentioned above to carry the load with his two horses out. They’ll not only get plenty more opportunity at even strength, but also some big minutes on the power play.

Getting the extra touches and understanding how much they are needed could go a long way in getting their confidence up ahead of the playoffs. Take tonight’s game for example. Nugent-Hopkins is set to take first-line centre matchups. That may not be ideal for the Oilers in the short term when it comes to winning, but it will give him a ton of touches to build his confidence even further after his recent hot stretch.

For Henrique, meanwhile, he will get second-line minutes. That should be huge for the six-time 20-goal scorer, who has a disappointing eight goals and 17 points on the season. The Oilers desperately need him to provide some bottom-six offence once the playoffs roll around.

As for Bouchard, he is arguably the most offensively gifted player on this roster sans McDavid and Draisaitl. He’s had a ton of detractors this season, and so far has given them no reason to be silenced. This is no doubt a huge opportunity for him to prove that he can not only get things done with them out of the lineup, but elevate his game to be the star this team needs without its two big guns.

Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Gain

It goes without saying that the Oilers are a worse team without McDavid and Draisaitl in the lineup. The games in which they are out may prove tough to win and could hurt their positioning in the standings. That said, as long as they are healthy and good to go for the playoffs, their absences could prove to be a huge benefit for this team as they look to win it all later this year.