Edmonton Oilers' star Leon Draisaitl recently took a break from the ice to visit his homeland, Germany. While there, he caught an exciting Bundesliga matchup between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin. Born in Cologne, Draisaitl didn’t just watch from the stands; he also made his way to the Bayern locker room to connect with some of the players.
Currently sidelined due to a lower-body injury, Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. However, the NHL veteran remains hopeful about a postseason return, sharing with Sky Sports that he’s optimistic about contributing to the Oilers’ playoff push. “It will definitely take a few weeks,” he mentioned, hoping for a deep playoff run to rejoin his team.
During his time in Munich, Draisaitl sought treatment from renowned sports doctor, Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt.
Oilers president and GM, Stan Bowman, echoed this optimism, telling TSN’s Gino Reda that while it’s early days, he’s hopeful about Draisaitl’s recovery. “It’s only been a couple of days here.
We’ll have to see how well he responds to the treatment,” Bowman explained, trusting the doctors’ timeline for healing.
With the playoffs kicking off around April 18-19, Draisaitl is expected to be out for at least a month. Bowman emphasized the importance of letting the injury heal properly, despite Draisaitl's reputation for playing through pain. “We’re obviously going to miss him, but we also have to focus on the players that are healthy and able to play right now,” Bowman noted.
The Oilers have their work cut out for them as they aim for the playoffs, especially after falling short against the Florida Panthers in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Currently sitting second in the Pacific Division with a 34-27-9 record, they’re five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings with 12 games left.
Draisaitl’s injury occurred on March 15 in a game against the Nashville Predators after a hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt. Before this setback, Draisaitl was having another standout season, with 35 goals and 62 assists over 65 games. Unfortunately, this injury may end his impressive streak of four consecutive 100-point seasons.
Adding to his achievements this year, Draisaitl also tallied two goals and five assists for Germany at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in February. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich secured a commanding 4-0 victory, further solidifying their position at the top of the Bundesliga.