Edmonton Oilers face uncertainty as Leon Draisaitl's appearance remains doubtful on playoff opener and beyond

As the Edmonton Oilers begin their Stanley Cup playoff campaign, star forward Leon Draisaitl could miss the playoffs due to his lower-body injury. According to head coach Kris Knoblauch, Draisaitl “may not be ready” when the playoffs open, casting uncertainty over his availability for Game 1. The forward has been out since March 15 with a lower-body injury, and Hyman could play before the regular season ends.

According to the NHL, in 65 games played, Draisaitl has 35 goals, 62 assists, and 97 points in total. Earlier, Draisaitl had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in the playoffs last season and 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 2024.

Recently, his performance garnered attention, as he scored two goals and three assists in a 5-4 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on March 3, 2026, which was his seventh game in the NHL with at least five points.

Leon Draisaitl may not be ready for the playoffs as the Oilers forward remains sidelined due to injury

Edmonton Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl may not be ready when the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, as he remains sidelined from the team due to his injury. This was announced by Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch on Monday. Head coach Kris Knoblauch stated that Draisaitl “may not be ready” for the playoffs, raising concerns over Edmonton’s lineup that is heading into a crucial stretch of the season.


Speaking about Leon Draisaitl’s injury update, Kris Knoblauch told NHL, “Leon is going to be on the ice this week, and I don’t anticipate him playing any games in the regular season, and in the playoffs, sometime in the first round if things go well.

He further added, “I’m not ruling that out (first game of the playoffs), but I would just anticipate sometime in the first (round). There’s a period of time we anticipated his return, and we said it was going to be right around the end of the regular season, at the start of the playoffs.”

Draisaitl has been out of action since mid-March after sustaining the injury, and there is still no definitive timeline for his return. While the Oilers have not ruled him out entirely, the lack of clarity suggests the team may have to navigate the early stages of the postseason without their leading offensive team members.

It is to be noted that the Oilers currently have four regular-season games remaining before the postseason begins. They are tied for first atop the Pacific Division with the Vegas Golden Knights but have yet to clinch a playoff berth.

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