EDMONTON 鈥� Connor McDavid couldn鈥檛 have come back to the Edmonton Oilers at a more opportune time 鈥� or in a much more dramatic fashion.
McDavid returned after missing eight games with a lower-body ailment and netted three assists, including on the dramatic game winner in the dying seconds, as the injury-riddled Oilers edged the red-hot St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Wednesday.
The victory moved Edmonton (45-28-5) within a hair of clinching a playoff spot.
McDavid wasn't expected to make his return on Wednesday, but with eight other regular players out, the Oilers were looking at having to play two players short and the captain opted to see just how game ready he was.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 taking anyone鈥檚 spot,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought it was an opportunity and if it was no good, take a couple shifts and if it is no good, come off.
鈥淥bviously, it felt good. No problems.鈥�
Late in the third period, McDavid 鈥� who had just emerged from the penalty box 鈥� took the puck behind the St. Louis net and sent a backhand pass out front to Connor Brown. The winger scored his second of the game and 11th of the season with just 21 seconds to play.
Brown said he wasn't surprised with how McDavid made his return.
鈥淲e kind of knew that he was itching to play. It was just a matter of if they let him,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think he's the true embodiment of a captain. Unselfish, hard working, leads by example.鈥�
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch admitted it was a calculated risk to have McDavid come back a little earlier than expected.
鈥淗e was really close, day to day. The plan was that he was going to play the following game on Friday,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e really felt that he was ready and wanted to play, especially with losing another centreman (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to illness).
"He felt he was ready and it was going to be as good as it was going to be. He really wanted to be in the lineup tonight. He wouldn鈥檛 have been cleared just because he felt like playing. The medical staff obviously felt he was in good hands and not create any more damage.鈥�
The Oilers were missing a litany of players to injuries or illness on Wednesday, including the league鈥檚 leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed). Also sidelined were forwards Nugent-Hopkins (illness), Trent Frederic (ankle) and Evander Kane (hip, knee), defencemen Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed), Jake Walman (undisclosed) and John Klingberg (lower body), and starting goalie Stuart Skinner (concussion).
鈥淚t was a difficult situation for our group as a whole,鈥� McDavid said. 鈥淕uys coming in and out of the lineup, sick hurt, whatever it is. Short numbers, we had to go with five (defencemen.) It was a gutsy effort by them. It was kind of a crazy day for our group with not knowing who was going and whatnot. I was just happy to get in there.鈥�
Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for the Oilers, who snapped a two-game losing skid.
鈥淚t was massive, obviously, and that鈥檚 what it is all about, guys stepping up,鈥� McDavid said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had different guys stepping up throughout this injury and sickness bug. A lot of guys are stepping up and playing good hockey and contributing. It hasn鈥檛 been easy, but I thought the guys have battled hard.鈥�
McDavid said that he feels the Oilers will be ready and raring to go come post-season play.
鈥淲hen the gun goes off we鈥檝e got to be ready and I鈥檓 confident we will be,鈥� he said.
McDavid's performance Wednesday moved him into rarefied company as he became the seventh player in the history of the NHL with at least five consecutive 65-assist seasons. The others are Wayne Gretzky (13), Bobby Orr (6), Guy Lafleur (6), Peter Stastny (6), Phil Esposito (5) and Adam Oates (5).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
