The Edmonton Oilers were missing a key piece of their roster at practice Thursday.
Star forward Leon Draisaitl was absent following the team’s 5-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 on Wednesday night. Coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Thursday that Draisaitl was day-to-day, but did not get into specifics about the injury, adding an update would come Friday.
Draisaitl left the opener of the second-round series for an undisclosed reason in the second period but returned for the third.
“Just some cramping,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters after the game. “Between cramping and some equipment issues, that’s why his ice time was down.”
Draisaitl’s last full shift of the second period came at the 12-minute mark of the middle frame. He attempted to take another shift before quickly spinning around and heading back to the bench and then to the locker room.
He would return for the third and ultimately finished the game with two assists in 16:43 of ice time.
With 12 points in six playoff games, Draisaitl, 28, is tied for the team lead with superstar partner Connor McDavid.
Meanwhile, forward Adam Henrique was skating with the team Thursday after missing Game 1 due to a lower-body injury. Knoblauch said Henrique was also day-to-day.
Henrique, 34, registered two points in Edmonton’s first-round series win over the Los Angeles Kings. Knoblauch said Wednesday he is hopeful Henrique will be able to play in Game 2 on Friday.
