A look back at how the Oilers fare when Connor McDavid misses games

Well, now we know the extent of how severe Connor McDavid's injury is, and it's not too bad in the grand scheme of things. Certainly, a two-to-three week absence is preferable to initial speculation from the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast (reported via Hockey Feed), which claimed the Oilers superstar could be out long-term with his ankle issue.

At the same time, just because McDavid's absence isn't long-term, two-to-three weeks could still feel like an eternity for Oilers fans. Especially with the team stuttering through a second consecutive inconsistent start to the season at 4-5-1 through 10 games.

Let's go from the date the team confirmed the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner is expected to be out for two-to-three weeks, i.e. Wednesday. If we use this information as it is presented, a two-week absence would have McDavid missing six games, while a three-week absence would see him out for 10 contests.

Looking back on previous McDavid absences

This is clearly still a decent amount of games for an Oilers team yet to find their form. It also brings to mind, the question of how they've done on previous occasions without number 97?

Well, just last season the Oilers played six games without McDavid and only managed one win, albeit it was an impressive one at 5-1 versus the perennially competitive Vegas Golden Knights. Ultimately though they went just 1-4-1 in those six contests, scoring a combined 13 goals and allowing 22 in the process.

In general, McDavid has proven to be quite durable during his time in Edmonton. Prior to last season, he missed just 13 games in seven seasons. In those games the Oilers have played .500 hockey with a 5-5-3 record, scoring 32 goals and allowing 37 along the way.

The only time the five-time Art Ross Trophy winner missed substantial playing time was during his rookie NHL campaign back in 2015-16. In total he missed 37 games due to a fractured left clavicle, with the Oilers going 14-18-5 in that period.

A losing record will not cut it for the Oilers

So in total, McDavid has so far missed 56 games during his career with the Oilers, with the team compiling a 20-27-9 record in those contests. A similar level of success during this upcoming absence could prove challenging for the team to recover from, particularly given they are fourth-bottom in the Western Conference ahead of Thursday's slate of games.

At the same time, we know what this team is capable of. Last season they recovered from the worst start in club history through 12 games and tied for the fewest points in the NHL, to go all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Of course, the Oilers still need to keep their heads above water for however long McDavid is out for. We believe that going .500 would be acceptable, to keep them just about in touch with the competition.

In this respect, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke to the media on Wednesday about his game plan for getting the other players to step up while McDavid is absent. As per the team's X account on social media, he said:

"When you're missing someone who's playing about 22 minutes a night, there's a lot more rhythm and flow for those third and fourth line players."

One overriding theory is that the Oilers are too dependant on McDavid, but while any team would miss the best player in the game, we would contend they still possess enough talent to remain competitive. The next two-to-three weeks will give us a better idea of which sentiment is closer to the truth.

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