Is Evander Kane permanently fading for the Oilers or just temporarily?

Focus on Oilers response to McDavid injury

So for those of you who haven’t heard because you’re living off the grid or something, Connor McDavid was seen holding his ribcage/stomach area in the last game against Winnipeg. The day after, the doctors checked him and it looks like he’s got one of those mysterious injuries listed as an “upper body injury” and will be out one-to-two weeks.

The last time McDavid was injured in 2020, Leon Draisaitl took the team on his back. He ended up cleaning up at the NHL awards, winning all the accolades that normally go to Mcdavid.

I would suspect that history will repeat itself and the Deutchsland Dangler will do the same thing this time around. However, it’s safe to say that in this young season where we’ve only played five games, in three of those the Oilers simply laid an egg in the effort, defensive, and consistency categories.

With McDavid out, not only will we see Draisaitl step up, but now the entire team must also do the same. With this much talent out of the lineup, the rest of the players will have no choice, but to do better.

McDavid will still hang around the dressing room and be an inspiration to the rest of the players. If your captain is out, and that doesn’t inspire you to step up your game and play better, then as an NHL player you clearly have no heart. You just watch; the effort, consistency, and defensive play will all get much better, because it has to if the players don’t want their season to fall off a cliff.

Then when Mcdavid comes back, all you have to say to the rest of the team is “keep doing what you’re doing”.

Now that being said, the loss of the best player in the world will have a ripple effect regardless. However, you can help to minimize the damage, if the rest of the team steps up and plays in a way to compensate as much as possible for McDavid’s absence.

With the issues we’re seeing on the team right now, this could be just the tonic the Oilers need to fix these issues, rally around each other, and play up to their potential. After all, playing the way they should in only two out of every five games is not going to result in a winning season or even a playoff spot, much less a division win or the Cup.