Ozzy Wiesblatt breaks silence on Leon Draisaitl injury but Edmonton Oilers still pay the price
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 19, 2026 (5:18 PM)
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Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Edmonton announced March 17 that Leon Draisaitl, sitting at 35-62-97 in 65 games, will miss the rest of the regular season after the Nashville hit.
That is the whole story now, not the debate about intent.
Ozzy Wiesblatt said he was trying to finish his hit, not injure Draisaitl. The result still smashed Edmonton's plan for March and changed Thursday's matchup with Florida.
Wiesblatt is a 24-year-old Predators forward, drafted in 2020, first round, 31st overall, by the San Jose Sharks. He had 1-4-5 in 36 games entering this week.
Intent matters for discipline. Impact matters more for the standings.
The Oilers entered Thursday at 34-26-9. The Panthers came in at 33-31-3, so this was not some empty March night.
You can see Draisaitl's leg get pinned near the boards, then his weight shifts the wrong way.
"I'm just trying to finish my hit."
- Predators' Ozzy Wiesblatt
- Predators' Ozzy Wiesblatt
That is why this feels bigger than one bad collision.
Leon Draisaitl leaves Edmonton Oilers exposed
Fans are right to be furious because Edmonton just lost its most dangerous finisher outside Connor McDavid.
Draisaitl is the left-circle one-timer, the bumper touch, and the second wave that keeps penalty killers from loading up on McDavid. Without him, the man advantage gets easier to read.
That ripple hits even strength too. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has to carry more middle-ice detail, and every top-six matchup gets heavier.
This is where the Wiesblatt quote stops mattering. Edmonton's real problem is surviving the next stretch without the player who tilts coverage and finishes shifts.
The story is not whether the hit looked dirty enough. The story is whether the Oilers can keep their shape before Game 1 arrives.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Matthew Tkachuk's quote adds salt to Edmonton's loss and resets the rivalry tone
Matthew Tkachuk's quote adds salt to Edmonton's loss and resets the rivalry tone
| POLL | ||
MARS 19|194 ANSWERS Ozzy Wiesblatt breaks silence on Leon Draisaitl injury but Edmonton Oilers still pay the price Did the Draisaitl injury change Edmonton's playoff ceiling? | ||
| Yes | 172 | 88.7 % |
| No | 22 | 11.3 % |
| List of polls | ||