Kris Knoblauch reveals major injury news for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid

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Graham Montgomery
June 27, 2024 (7:27 PM)

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Connor McDavid was clearly not himself in the Stanley Cup finals and now we have an idea of what injuries were holding him back.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch was rather coy about McDavid's status yesterday as he gave his final media availability of the season. He implied that the team's captain was dealing with an injury, but declined to comment on what exactly it was.

"I'd rather not say (what it was). I'll leave that to the medical staff." -Kris Knoblauch on Connor McDavid's injury

Naturally, this has lead to some speculation about his status. Prior to the interview, a rumor emerged that McDavid suffered a significant abdominal injury that will require surgery in the offseason. If this is true, it could make sense why the Oilers are being so secretive about his status. Perhaps this surgery could come with a serious recovery time.

"McDavid has played through an abdominal injury that likely requires surgery."

That being said, it sounds like Leon Draisaitl may be having offseason surgery as well, but Knoblauch was far less vague about his status. He noted that the superstar forward was dealing with both rib and hand injuries. This perfectly lines up with rumors that he had suffered a broken rib and hand.

Kris Knoblauch says there were games in the playoffs where the team wasn't sure if Leon Draisaitl was going to play.

Another testament to how much of a warrior 29 is.

Mentioned ribs & hand injuries. #Oilers

Read more about the injuries to McDavid and Draisaitl below.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were injured.

«Some nights he wasn't sure if he could play." -Kris Knoblauch on Draisaitl

In McDavid's case, some sources talk about a possible operation, so it's serious!