Connor McDavid and Kasperi Kapanen to miss time, Adam Henrique cleared to return for Oilers
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 24, 2026 (2:49 PM)
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Connor McDavid injury news hits the Edmonton Oilers hard, and the Olympic break hangover feels real.
OilersNation says McDavid and Kasperi Kapanen are expected to miss time, with Adam Henrique ready to return.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch hinted McDavid might not join the team right away as the season restarts.
"When he exactly joins the team, and when he's ready to play, we'll obviously have to have some conversations with him."
- Kris Knoblauch
- Kris Knoblauch
That lines up with what we all noticed after the gold medal game, McDavid had his hand taped up in the handshake line.
When your captain is 34-62-96, every missed game changes the math fast.
The Oilers come out of the break with a road back-to-back in Anaheim and Los Angeles starting Wednesday.
Based on the update, it sure looks like McDavid will miss that first game back.
Connor McDavid puts the Edmonton Oilers in scramble mode
Oilers fans are tired of the "wait and see" routine, especially when it's hands and fingers on a player who lives on touch plays.
Knoblauch also called Kapanen's issue a "little ailment," but it's enough that he's expected to miss the first two games.
Kapanen's season line sits at 5-7-12, and he had scored in back-to-back games before the break.
Henrique returning matters because the bottom-six has needed structure, not chaos.
He hasn't played since January 6 after blocking a shot against Nashville, and you could feel that lineup hole nightly.
If Henrique can stabilize draws and defensive details, it softens the blow while the stars heal.
Still, Edmonton's man advantage and late-game attack don't look the same without 97 driving the middle.
Wednesday's lineup is going to tell us how serious this is, and how much the room has to grind before McDavid is back.
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