Leon Draisaitl injury: Oilers superstar out for remainder of regular season due to lower-body injury
Draisaitl ranks second on the Oilers in goals, assists and points
The Edmonton Oilers will be without superstar forward Leon Draisaitl for the remainder of the regular season due to a lower-body injury, the team announced on Tuesday. Draisaitl exited Sunday's win over the Nashville Predators in the first period and did not return.
After opening the scoring against Nashville, Draisaitl absorbed a big hit from Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. The blow nearly knocked Draisaitl into the Nashville bench, and he immediately skated gingerly off the ice.
After undergoing further evaluation, the Oilers have ruled out Draisaitl for the rest of the regular season, but they haven't provided an update on the possibility of a playoff return.
Here was the hit by Ozzy Wiesblatt that apparently knocked Leon Draisaitl out of the game.
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) March 16, 2026
At least 3-4 Oilers players have gone after Wiesblatt for what appears to be a legal hit. pic.twitter.com/vGxiybYSQx
Obviousy, losing Draisaitl delivers a critical blow to the Oilers' playoff chances. He ranks second on the team -- behind only Connor McDavid -- in goals (35), assists (62) and points (97). Edmonton will probably miss Draisaitl the most on the power play. An elite weapon on the man advantage, Draisaitl is an elite passer and one of the game's most accurate shooters. Those skills has translated to 16 goals and 26 assists on the power play.
With Draisaitl set to miss extended time, more of the offensive burden will be placed upon the shoulders of McDavid, and he was already carrying more than his share of the weight in that department. McDavid's league-leading 114 points are 37 more than the next non-Draisaitl teammate. Granted, Zach Hyman has been extremely productive on a per-game basis with 45 points in 49 appearacnes.
The Oilers' playoff chances were already a bit wobbly as they sit in third place in the Pacific Division, just four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, the first team below the playoff cut line. Now, they'll have to hang on without Draisaitl over the last 14 games.
Should Edmonton reach the postseason, its Stanley Cup odds will plummet if its superstar center can't return in the first round.
