Oilers Prepare for Canucks Without Draisaitl, Look to Depth for Spark
The Edmonton Oilers will be without one of their biggest stars this weekend, as Leon Draisaitl is taking a leave of absence to return to Germany due to a family illness. The news broke ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, the first of a weekend back-to-back for Edmonton.
It’s a tough loss-no way around it. Draisaitl has been a consistent force against Vancouver, recording points in 26 of his last 27 regular-season games against the Canucks, including 23 goals and 21 assists in that stretch. But this is bigger than hockey, and the Oilers are rallying behind their teammate during a difficult time.
“Obviously, we’ll miss him, but the job comes second,” said Connor McDavid. “Everybody in here is a brother, father, son or whatever, and that stuff comes first. He’s got to go home and be with his family, and we’re thinking about him and his entire family.”
The Oilers are expected to be without Draisaitl for a few games, but he’s anticipated to return during Edmonton’s upcoming eight-game homestand. In the meantime, the team knows it’s time to step up.
“You saw it last year when we kind of got hit with the injury bug,” McDavid added. “We had some guys step up in a really big way, so obviously, we’re looking for the same thing this year with a little bit more opportunity. [Adam Henrique] is out as well, so lots of opportunities for guys to step up and make an impact.”
With Draisaitl and Henrique both out, the Oilers are reshuffling the deck. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will slide into a top-six center role, flanked by Kasperi Kapanen and Trent Frederic. It’s a meaningful night for Frederic, who’s set to play in his 999th NHL game-and he’ll be doing it in front of family and friends in his hometown of Vancouver.
That bump up for Nugent-Hopkins opens the door for Vasily Podkolzin to join McDavid and Zach Hyman on the top line. Podkolzin has been quietly effective lately, notching a goal and three assists in his last six games while averaging over 15 minutes of ice time across his last four. Now, he gets a chance to skate alongside the Oilers’ captain-a big opportunity for the young Russian.
“Excited about that opportunity to play with him,” McDavid said. “I haven’t really had that chance before, so something new for him and me.
He’s been a great player for us ever since he came into our room. He competes every single night, works so hard, gets pucks back, good along the wall, and does a lot of little things that fans don’t notice.
I’m excited to play with him.”
Andrew Mangiapane will draw back into the lineup, slotting in on the fourth line with Curtis Lazar and Mattias Janmark. His return adds some grit and energy to the bottom six, a group that may be called on for more minutes with the lineup in flux.
Between the pipes, Tristan Jarry gets the nod against Vancouver, with Calvin Pickard backing him up. The Oilers are carrying three goaltenders at the moment, so Connor Ingram remains in Edmonton and could get the start Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues in the second half of the back-to-back.
Here’s how the Oilers are expected to line up against the Canucks:
Forwards
- Vasily Podkolzin - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman
- Trent Frederic - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Kasperi Kapanen
- Xavier Bourgault - Jack Roslovic - Carter Savoie
- Andrew Mangiapane - Curtis Lazar - Mattias Janmark
Defense
- Mattias Ekholm - Evan Bouchard
- Darnell Nurse - Maxence Emberson
- Jake Walman - Philip Stastney
Goalies
- Starter: Tristan Jarry
- Backup: Calvin Pickard
With Draisaitl out, the Oilers are leaning into their depth and versatility. It’s a test of resilience, but also a chance for players to take on bigger roles and show what they can do. And with a Canucks team struggling to find its footing lately, this is a game where Edmonton will look to make a statement-even without one of their biggest stars.