Oilers’ McDavid out 2-3 weeks with ankle injury

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid will miss two to three weeks with an ankle injury, the team confirmed on Wednesday.

McDavid left Edmonton’s 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday after injuring his ankle on his first shift of the game. He was tripped up by Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski‘s stick while crossing into the attacking zone and his left leg collided awkwardly with the boards. McDavid left the ice on his own and was ruled out of the game after having skated just 37 seconds. There was no penalty on the play.

McDavid, 27, went back to Edmonton for further evaluation, and the team announced that their captain is “expected to return to action in two to three weeks.”

Considered the best player in the world, McDavid is coming off a 132-point season for Edmonton in which he led them to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. In his 10th NHL season, McDavid has 992 points in 655 career games. McDavid’s 1.51 career points per game average is behind only Wayne Gretzky (1.92) and Mario Lemieux (1.88) in NHL history.

For the second straight season, the Oilers are off to a slow start. Edmonton is 4-5-1 in its first 10 games, with a minus-13 goal differential. McDavid has 10 points in those games (3 goals, 7 assists).

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said McDavid’s absence is an opening for others on the roster.

“It’s more ice time, more opportunity,” he said after the Blue Jackets loss. “It’s tough any time you’re playing without your best player, but it’s something that we’re going to have to [do]. Obviously, our team’s going to look different.”

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