Oilers' Connor McDavid Returns Home for Evaluation

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The Edmonton Oilers will be without their superstar captain as Connor McDavid leaves the team to get extra evaluation. In the opening seconds of the Oilers’ loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, McDavid suffered a lower-body injury, taking him out of the lineup after just one shift.
Following the game, Oilers’ head coach Kris Knoblauch said that McDavid was heading back to Edmonton for further evaluation. While McDavid heads to Edmonton, the rest of the Oilers are continuing their road trip to take on the Nashville Predators.
Head Coach Kris Knoblauch provides an update on Connor McDavid & discusses tonight's #Oilers defeat to the Blue Jackets.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/JG4sZN1QXb
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 29, 2024
Knoblauch didn’t have any further information, but is hopeful to have more positive updates before they drop the puck in Nashville.
It’s still possible McDavid gets cleared and able to return in Nashville, but highly unlikely.
On just his first shift of the game, McDavid was trying to enter the attacking zone when he was tripped up by a Blue Jackets skater. McDavid’s left leg got jammed into the boards with the rest of his body following.
McDavid was able to get right back to his feet after sliding into the corner, but didn’t return to the ice and was quickly ruled out for the night.
The Oilers went on to lose 6-1 to the Blue Jackets. The Oilers lone goal in the dying seconds of the game from defenseman Mattias Ekholm. The loss moves the Oilers to 4-5-1 in 10 games played.
After their contest against the Predators, the Oilers head back to Canada, but not quite to Edmonton. Before returning home, the Oilers have a matchup with rival Calgary Flames.
The Oilers are hoping to get positive news from the evaluations in Edmonton as McDavid is a key to their success and closing in on a huge career milestone.

Nick Horwat is a contributor with Breakaway On SI. He was previously a credentialed reporter for The Hockey News covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A Pittsburgh native, Nick graduated from Point Park University and started reporting on news and sports with KDKA Radio and 93.7 The Fan. After hosting a Penguins talk radio show in college, he morphed the show into a podcast. The Tip of the Ice-Burgh Podcast has been a leading Penguins podcast since 2019. Follow him on Twitter @NickHorwat41.