Oilers Have Mishandled Their Injuries

The Edmonton Oilers clinched a playoff spot on Friday night (April 11) with a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. However, injuries continue to mount up, which isn’t ideal for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. They are without Leon Draisaitl, Trent Frederic, Jake Walman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, Mattias Ekholm, and Zach Hyman. The Oilers are missing many key pieces from their lineup. They’ve also been without Connor McDavid and Stuart Skinner during this last stretch, but both are back in the lineup. However, are they 100 percent? Or are they still battling ailments, but playing through them? Given this team’s track record, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re playing hurt.

The organization didn’t manage these injuries well and wasn’t clear on Evander Kane’s status. They also gave up assets to acquire injured players and rushed them back from injuries. There’s also no transparency with the media. The organization is too secretive, refusing to release any information about the status of their players. Before Wednesday’s tilt (April 9) against the St. Louis Blues, head coach Kris Knoblauch was asked when he expects McDavid and Draisaitl to play. He said, “We expect everyone back by the end of the regular season, and those guys are day-to-day, to maybe a week away, so that’s where the timeline is for them.” But McDavid returned that night, when he wasn’t expected to play. Knoblauch gave false information to the media, which makes people wonder if there was a lack of communication between him and the medical staff. The Oilers didn’t handle their injury situations effectively with any of their players.

Oilers Didn’t Do Their Due Diligence With the Frederic Addition

The Oilers acquired Frederic from the Boston Bruins ahead of the trade deadline. Edmonton traded Maximus Wanner, a 2025 second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick in 2026. They also sent prospect Shane Lachance to the New Jersey Devils for 50 percent retention on Frederic’s salary. The newest Oiler was injured when acquired and missed multiple weeks. He has only played one game with his new team before re-aggravating his injury.

The organization gave up quality assets for a player who only played one regular-season game and might not be ready for Game 1 of the postseason. That’s a very tough look for management, especially considering that salary retention was involved. The Bruins also retained salary, so Edmonton would’ve saved assets if they took his whole cap hit. If they put him on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and kept him out until the playoffs, there’s no point in salary retention. Furthermore, if he’s hurt, why bother acquiring him in the first place? Yes, he’s a solid player and brings much-needed physicality to the lineup. But that’s only effective if he plays. Also, they could’ve traded Lachance for a draft pick if he wasn’t going to sign with the Oilers. This is another example of poor asset management by this front office. They didn’t do their due diligence, and it’s costing them.

Oilers Rushed Players Back

The injuries were piling up, and Edmonton was in a playoff race, so they rushed players back before they were ready. The Oilers had a massive game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 5 without Draisaitl and McDavid. So, Frederic suited up for his first game and played a team-low 7:10 of ice time, and he re-aggravated his injury in the process. The organization gave up a lot to get him, so they felt pressure to play him, especially with their current injury situation. But that was a mistake because now he’s questionable for the playoff opener.