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Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Oilers Should Consider Giving Injured Stars Extra Rest Before Playoffs

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Swane | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 11:05 AM ET

This weekend did not go well for the Edmonton Oilers as far as the Pacific Division standings are concerned. It started with Edmonton getting shut out 3-0 by the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday (April 5) afternoon, continued with the Vegas Golden Knights defeating the Calgary Flames 3-2 in overtime on Saturday evening, and ended Sunday (April 6) night with Vegas beating the Vancouver Canucks 3-2.

Those results left Edmonton (44-27-5) sitting third in the division, trailing Los Angeles (44-23-9) by four points and Vegas (47-22-8) by nine points, while leading Calgary (36-27-13) by eight points and Vancouver (35-29-13) by 10 points.

Edmonton Likely to Finish Third

With just six games remaining on their 2024-25 regular season schedule, the Oilers will likely finish second or third in the division. Even if Edmonton goes 6-0-0 to close the season, Vegas would only have to gain three points to assure it finishes ahead of the Oilers. Meanwhile, Edmonton’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is any combination of just five points gained by the Oilers and lost by the Flames. Vancouver can no longer catch Edmonton.

Edmonton could still overtake the Kings, who the Oilers host on April 14 in what is effectively a four-point game between the two rivals. But the Kings play four of their other five remaining contests at Crypto.com Arena where they have the NHL’s best home record. With that in mind, Edmonton would probably need a near-perfect record over its final six games in order to catch the Kings. And that’s a big ask, considering Edmonton’s injury report.

Latest Updates on Injured Oilers

The Oilers are currently without the services of NHL leading scorer Leon Draisaitl (lower-body injury, last played April 3), superstar captain Connor McDavid (lower-body injury, last played March 20), top-pairing defenceman Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed injury, last played March 26) and starting netminder Stuart Skinner (concussion, last played March 26).

On the latest episode of Oilers Now, which airs weekdays on the Oilers’ radio flagship, it was reported that McDavid could be back as soon as tonight (April 7) when Edmonton visits the Anaheim Ducks, while Ekholm could return as early as Wednesday (April 9) against the St. Louis Blues, and Draisaitl could possibly be back in action when Edmonton hosts the Winnipeg Jets on April 13.

Edmonton’s Stars Make Quick Returns

Draisaitl and McDavid have a reputation for returning from injury quicker than expected. That may be partly because they heal quickly, but mostly because they’re warriors who live to compete alongside their teammates. And while such a mindset is admirable, it’s maybe not what should be influencing decisions at this specific point in time.

Rushing return from injury is always a concern, but especially in this instance with Draisaitl and Ekholm, who both already had a stint on the injury list last month. Ekholm came back on March 18 and lasted four games before being sidelined again, while Draisaitl returned on March 29 and made it only two and a half games before suffering another injury.

Regardless of whether their current ailments are related to prior injuries, the examples of Draisaitl and Ekholm provide a cautionary tale and underscore the importance of ensuring players are as close as possible to maximum health before returning.

Oilers Could Use Extra Time Off

As the saying goes, everyone is dealing with something at this time of year, but the Oilers are really banged up, and they’ve got a lot of mileage on their bodies: Since the start of 2023-24, including regular season and playoffs, Edmonton is tied with Florida for the most games played in the NHL. Take it back to the start of 2021-22, and Edmonton is second only to the Panthers among all NHL teams for most games played, regular season and postseason combined.

The Oilers only have one goal this postseason: getting back to the Stanley Cup Final, which means playing four best-of-seven series over the course of nine weeks starting April 19, when the 2025 NHL Playoffs are scheduled to begin.

With that in mind, the Oilers need to seriously consider additional rest for their injured players, particularly McDavid and Draisaitl, over the last week and a half of the regular season. Even if they get the all-clear from team doctors, and even if they’re itching to get back on the ice, an extra game or two off in April might go a long way in May and June.

Taking Stock of Oilers’ Situation

While the latest victories for Vegas and Los Angeles didn’t help Edmonton’s aspirations to climb the standings, those results may have been a blessing in disguise: knowing their likely fate, the Oilers are now in position to map out the rest of the regular season without having to worry quite as much about the standings.

Getting Draisaitl, Ekholm and McDavid back into the lineup ASAP might result in an extra couple wins, which could be the difference between finishing second and third in the Pacific Division. It could also result in a couple more injuries, which could be the difference between getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs and making a deep postseason run.

However the Oilers proceed with respect to their wounded warriors in the days to come, those decisions will be of great consequence, for better or worse. The picture could become even clearer after tonight’s game at Honda Center in Anaheim.