Just when things were looking up for the Edmonton Oilers, tragedy struck. The Oilers lost a hard-fought clash against the Winnipeg Jets after stitching together three consecutive wins. Yet, losing the game 4-3, or Vegas taking the top spot in the Pacific Division was the least of Edmonton’s worries; they lost their captain, Connor McDavid, after the end of the second period.

“As Connor came off the ice at the end of the second period… He just looked, I would say, uncomfortable, and even more uncomfortable now,” noted the play-by-play announcer as he watched the Oilers’ captain wince in pain while staking on the ice. The cameras also spotted McDavid discussing something before bowing out of the game.

Shortly after his departure, news surfaced that the Oilers’ key player had suffered a lower-body injury. Yet, concerns peaked when the team, including coach Kris Knoblauch, remained tight-lipped about the details even after the match. Elliotte Friedman revealed what went down. “Postgame tonight, Kris Knoblauch said no updates on McDavid/Skinner… Added the goalie was pulled by the spotter,” wrote the journalist.

Speculations ran wild about what exactly happened to Connor McDavid. Fans suspected everything from ankle to groin injury. However, that may not be as bad as Coach Knoblauch, despite not divulging the details, did drop hints. “Faceoffs are a big factor, too. We had Henrique, Hyman, and Perry take some offensive-zone faceoffs,” the hockey coach said about his team.

“It’s a chance for guys to step into bigger roles than they typically have. We’re confident in this group. We have players who can step up and take on more responsibility, and we’ll be fine,” explained Knoblauch. His statement could mean that McDavid won’t be spending too long on the bench as a shadow of the playoffs looms above the Stanley Cup-hopeful team. That being said, McDavid isn’t the only Oiler out of action.

The Oilers goalie joined Connor McDavid

The Canadian NHL icon seemed to hurt himself while chasing the puck when Josh Morrissey bumped him. It was near the end of the second period, and McDavid struggled after coming to the bench. Unfortunately, lightning stuck twice at Oilers Country when goalie Stuart Skinner also suffered a similar injury.

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi collided with the Edmonton Oilers goaltender. “Stuart Skinner leaves the game with 5 mins to play after contact in the crease. Due to rule change last year, at least Calvin Pickard gets a warmup,” Friedman reported. While many speculated the concussion spotter must’ve pulled off the ice, Knoblauch clarified it while discussing Connor McDavid.

While the Edmonton Oilers retained from sharing any more details on the McDavid or Skinner, we already know another key piece of the Oilers puzzle was already on the beach. Although Edmonton handed Utah Hockey Club the biggest defeat in their history a couple of days ago, it came at a steep cost. The Oilers’ and NHL leading goalscorer Leon Draisaitl sustained an injury.

So Kris Knoblauch scratched him against the Jets. “We feel that this is something that he probably could play through,” the head coach said, but didn’t risk it. “We certainly don’t want it to be an issue for the long term,” he added. Little did he know that two more of his players would also get injured against the Jets. Now Oilers Country has to wait and hope for the best.