Oilers’ Misery Continues as McDavid Refuses to Comment on His Health – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are in a world of trouble right now. After picking up a win in Game 1 over the Anaheim Ducks, they have since dropped three straight and are now on the verge of being eliminated on home ice in Game 5 this coming Tuesday. It’s a potential outcome that very few, if any, saw coming.

The Oilers never truly felt like a Stanley Cup contender, as they were wildly inconsistent throughout the 2025-26 regular season. That said, this year felt as wide open as ever for them to, at the very least, punch their ticket to the Western Conference Final. Barring a major comeback, that no longer appears to be the case.

There are plenty of reasons to point at as to reasons why the Oilers have struggled in this series, but it’s impossible not to mention their health. It’s been quite evident to those watching that Connor McDavid is playing at far less than 100 per cent after getting tangled up with Mattias Ekholm and Ian Moore in Game 1. Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl, who missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a knee injury, also appears to be operating at less than 100 per cent. And, any hope that they may miraculously feel better for Game 5 seemingly took a blow following Sunday’s overtime loss.

McDavid Mum on Potential Injury

Hockey fans across the globe have come accustomed to McDavid ramping his play up to an even higher level in the playoffs. That’s what makes his lone goal and three helpers through four games quite tough to fathom. What fans are noticing the most is that his speed, which makes him so dangerous, has been lacking. When asked following Game 4 if he’s healthy, the Oilers captain didn’t offer up any sort of valuable response.

“I feel we’re all doing the best we can out there. We’re all working, and we’re all trying to get it done,” McDavid said.

The fact that he was unwilling to give any sort of comment on his status makes it all the more evident that he’s battling something, and based on his play, it may be even more severe than we think. Without McDavid being able to take over games like usual, the Oilers look destined for an early playoff exit.

Others Need to Step Up

What’s been interesting so far in this series is that the Oilers are getting solid play from their depth. Kasperi Kapanen is leading the way with four goals, while Vasily Podkolzin has also had a big impact. Jason Dickinson, who has been limited to only two games, has recorded three points.

For the Oilers, it’s some of their bigger guns who have really struggled. McDavid can be forgiven considering he doesn’t appear to be healthy, but others including Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins haven’t been nearly good enough. Hyman in particular has really struggled with one goal and no helpers through four games.

If the Oilers have any chance of coming back in this series, those three will need to find a way to step up and provide support to McDavid and Draisaitl. They have all proven in the past they can step up with big performances in the postseason, and they are needed right now more than ever.

If that trio continues to struggle, it could be curtains for the Oilers this Tuesday night. That could result in some very interesting offseason questions given that the 2026-27 season will mark the first of McDavid’s two-year extension signed in October. There will also likely be some changes made behind the bench.

Of course, the Oilers could still very well turn this series around, even without McDavid and Draisaitl at their best. This is a team we’ve seen with their backs against the wall on plenty of occasions, only to somehow turn the tides back in their favour. We’ll find out what this current group is made of on Tuesday night.