The 2026 Winter Olympics have ended, and NHL players who participated are now rejoining their teams as the 2025-26 NHL season continues. The Edmonton Oilers’ captain, Connor McDavid, has returned from the Olympics carrying a silver medal for Team Canada, falling short of his goal to win gold. As the team prepares for the upcoming NHL schedule, they are already facing significant injury concerns following the international tournament.
Despite McDavid’s consistency this season without missing any regular-season games, he will not be ready to play in the Oilers’ next game against the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach Kris Knoblauch emphasized that McDavid’s quick return is unlikely given the demands following Olympic play and travel from Europe.
Yeah, I guess it all depends on numerous things,
Knoblauch explained.
Playing in the back-to-back would be difficult, and for him to play 23-24 minutes in back-to-back games after the Olympics, travelling from Europe? I don’t think that’s putting him in a very good position to help us.
So, we’ll have to lean on other guys a lot more and hopefully he is healthy by the weekend to step right into the lineup.
Kris Knoblauch, Edmonton Oilers Head Coach
During the gold medal match against Team USA, where Canada earned its first gold medal since 1980, McDavid was observed with taped fingers, indicating he may have sustained a hand injury.
Additional Injuries Sideline Kasperi Kapanen
Connor McDavid is not the only Oilers player facing absences in the near term. Forward Kasperi Kapanen, who has been sidelined for 39 games due to injury this season, is also expected to miss the game against Anaheim. Coach Knoblauch remains uncertain about Kapanen’s availability for the upcoming contests.
I’m not sure if he’ll be ready for the first two games,
Knoblauch said.
It might be later in the week, but he’s feeling okay. Whether he’s ready for these first two games after missing such a long time, I guess we’ll find out, but right now we’re thinking it’s probably not going to be the first two games.
Adam Henrique Preparing for a Comeback
On a more encouraging note, veteran forward Adam Henrique is expected to rejoin the Oilers lineup soon. Henrique has been out since early January after sustaining an injury while blocking a shot but has recently progressed in his recovery.
The timing of everything kind of saved me a few weeks of missing more time, which has been good,
Henrique commented.
I was able to skate before the break and get to a level where we’re comfortable, and then just trying to maintain that through the break,
he added.
Having this whole week has been great too, getting up to speed, getting back into practice. We’re able to work on things and talk about things in our game that we want to improve or change.
Adam Henrique, Edmonton Oilers Forward
Impact of Injuries on Oilers’ Postseason Ambitions
As the Oilers look to extend their postseason success and challenge for a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance against the Florida Panthers, managing these injuries becomes crucial. With key players like McDavid and Kapanen unavailable, the team must rely more heavily on depth players to maintain momentum. The return of Henrique offers some relief, but the Oilers’ ability to adapt to these setbacks will influence their playoff prospects as the NHL season resumes in full.
