VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family member’s illness in Germany, the team announced Saturday.
The 30-year-old star is expected to return next week.
“Obviously, we’re going to miss Leon, and hopefully, it’s not very long. And obviously, we support Leon,” coach Kris Knoblauch said after Edmonton’s morning skate. “What’s going on right now, it’s an unfortunate situation.”
The Oilers asked for privacy on Draisaitl’s behalf.
Draisaitl ranks second on the Oilers — and fifth in the NHL — with 67 points (25 goals, 42 assists). He is on pace for his fifth straight campaign with more than 100 points, and he won the Rocket Richard Trophy last season after finishing the regular season with the most goals in the league (52).
In 48 games this season, Draisaitl has averaged 22:05 in ice time and been key to Edmonton’s potent power play, registering 31 points with the man advantage.
The German center had not missed a game this season. The news came ahead of the Oilers’ game against the Canucks on Saturday night.
“Obviously, we’ll miss him. But the job comes second,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. “Everybody in here is a brother, father, son, whatever it is, and that stuff comes first. He’s got to go home and be with his family, and we’re obviously thinking about him and his entire family. We’ve got to take care of things.”
The Oilers are used to filling in gaps in the lineup, McDavid added, and saw several players take on added responsibilities when the team was beset by injuries last season.
“Lots of opportunity for guys to step up and make an impact,” he said.
After Saturday’s matchup against the Canucks, the Oilers host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, followed by home games against the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals next week.
