With the Stanley Cup Playoffs right around the corner, it’s that time of year when injuries to key players really come into focus.
That is especially true for the Edmonton Oilers, who are currently playing without their two superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Thankfully for Oilers fans, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had some good news about McDavid’s status on Saturday.
“The word is mid to late next week was the target,” Freidman said of McDavid’s return on Hockey Night in Canada‘s Saturday Headlines segment.
However, with the Oilers’ loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, they are now four points behind L.A. for second in the division, and Friedman wondered if that could change their plans.
“The Oilers lost today, they’re four points behind the Kings, does that change the way the way they look at his return?” Friedman said. “You know he wants to come back, but he looks good.”
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McDavid has been out since March 20 when a collision with Josh Morrissey knocked him out of a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
While McDavid appears on track for a return, Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson‘s status appears to be much more up in the air.
“Pettersson has not given up hope on playing this year,” Friedman said. “One source said they thought it was ‘unlikely,” but they key is Pettersson has not given up hope on playing this year. So right now at best, I think it’s fair to say that is uncertain.”
Pettersson suffered an upper-body injury two weeks ago in a game against the New York Rangers.
Even with the Canucks’ 6-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, they still will need a lot of help to make the playoffs. Vancouver is six points back of the Minnesota Wild for the West’s final wild-card spot with six games remaining.
Unlike the Canucks, the St. Louis Blues‘ spot in the post-season is looking good as the team is the a midst of a 12-game win streak.
However, they got some bad news on Thursday as Dylan Holloway, the team’s third-leading scorer, exited the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury.
According to Friedman, things aren’t looking great for the 23-year-old forward.
“(Blues head coach) Jim Montgomery said today they didn’t get as good news as they hoped, he termed it week to week,” Friedman said. “I think there is more clarity we could get here in the next 24 to 48 hours, but it appears as if the Blues are preparing they won’t have him at the start of the playoffs.”
The Blues entered Saturday’s action two points up on the Wild for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
