Leon Draisaitl is expected to be out for the rest of the regular season for the Edmonton Oilers because of a lower-body injury.
The center sustained the injury in a 3-1 win against the Nashville Predators on Sunday. Draisaitl left the game after taking a hit from Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt at 4:20 of the first period. He returned for two shifts toward the end of the period but did not play in the second or third.
“Obviously, he’s a top-four scorer, one of the most elite players in the League, so it’s not like one guy can just step into his shoes,” forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said prior to their morning skate on Tuesday. “We kind of talked about it this morning; it’s a collective thing with our group that everybody’s going to need a to pick up the slack.”
Draisaitl is fourth in the NHL with 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 games.
The Oilers (33-26-9) are third in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights and two back of the Anaheim Ducks, heading into their game against the San Jose Sharks (9 p.m. ET; SNW, NBCSCA).
