In a significant development for the Edmonton Oilers, star player Leon Draisaitl will be stepping away from the team due to a family health issue that requires his presence in Germany. This announcement means that fans will not see Draisaitl on the ice for several upcoming games. The organization has confirmed that they expect him to rejoin the team later next week, and they have requested privacy for Draisaitl during this challenging time, emphasizing the personal nature of the situation.
At 30 years old, Draisaitl has been a pivotal player for the Oilers this season, participating in all 48 games thus far. His performance has been impressive, with a tally of 25 goals and a total of 67 points, maintaining an average of 1.4 points per game, which is a step up from his career average of 1.22 points. Draisaitl plays a crucial role as the center for the second line, recently finding great chemistry with wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin. Together, this trio has outperformed their competition, scoring 7 goals while conceding only 3 over 73 minutes of play at even strength in their last six outings.
With Draisaitl out, the Oilers are making some adjustments to their lineup. According to reports from Bob Stauffer, Vasily Podkolzin will now move up to play alongside superstar Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman on the top line. Meanwhile, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will take over as the center for a new line featuring Trent Frederic and Kapanen. The third line, consisting of Jack Roslovic, Isaac Howard, and Matt Savoie, is expected to remain unchanged, while the fourth line will include Curtis Lazar, Andrew Mangiapane, and Mattias Janmark.
The Oilers have a packed schedule ahead for the remainder of January. They are set to face the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night before returning home to host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. This particular game is noteworthy as it marks Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’s 1,000th career game, an achievement the team plans to celebrate.
Following the match-up against the Blues, the Oilers will embark on an eight-game homestand, starting with a contest against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, followed by a Thursday game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before the month concludes, they will also host the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Minnesota Wild.
Moving into February, the Oilers will have two games lined up, beginning with a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 3rd, followed by an away game against the Calgary Flames the next day. Following these matches, there will be a break of two and a half weeks, during which NHL players, including Draisaitl, will participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Draisaitl will represent Germany alongside prospect Josh Samanski, while Connor McDavid is slated to play for Canada.
After the Olympic break, Edmonton's schedule resumes on February 25th with a busy stretch that includes three games within four nights against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks.
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