Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl sustained a lower-body injury in the first period of Sunday's game against the Nashville Predators and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, the team announced on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.[1][2]
Draisaitl, 30, took a bump from Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt and did not return to the game, which Edmonton won. The injury occurred at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.[2][3]
The 2025-26 NHL regular season concludes on April 16, meaning Draisaitl will miss at least the Oilers' final 14 games. The team did not provide details on his availability for the playoffs, which begin shortly after the regular season.[1][4]
Following the announcement, Edmonton defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Tuesday, moving into second place in the Pacific Division standings behind the Anaheim Ducks and ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers have played one more game than Vegas and two more than Anaheim.[3][4]
Goals against San Jose were scored by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Murphy, Zach Hyman, Vasily Podkolzin and Max Jones, with Adam Henrique recording assists on the Podkolzin and Jones tallies.[3]
"No one's going to replace Leon. That's never going to happen. But everyone collectively needs to be a little bit better," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said after the Sharks win.[3]
Draisaitl, a German-born centre drafted third overall by Edmonton in 2014, has 97 points in 65 games this season, ranking fourth in the NHL behind teammate Connor McDavid's league-leading 114 points.[1][4]
The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games. Draisaitl won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for the 2019-20 season.[5][6]
Sources
- Edmonton Oilers, "Oilers' Draisaitl expected to miss remainder of regular season", March 17, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/oilers-draisaitl-expected-to-miss-remainder-of-regular-season
- NHL.com, "Oilers announce Draisaitl injury update", March 17, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/news/edmonton-oilers-leon-draisaitl-injury-update-2026
- NHL.com, "Game summary: Sharks 3, Oilers 5", March 17, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/sjs-vs-edm/2026/03/17/
- NHL.com, "2025-26 NHL Standings - Pacific Division", accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/standings/2025-26/pacific
- NHL.com, "Leon Draisaitl player profile", accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/oilers/player/leon-draisaitl-8479314
