For a team as stacked as the Edmonton Oilers this season, you’d imagine the Stanley Cup knocking on their doorstep. But even you would not have factored in the ungodly twist fate had in mind. While Edmonton sits in third place in the Pacific Division, injuries seem to cast a long shadow on their hopes of winning the cup, and the latest blow to the gut has fans worried, again.
In recent weeks, several Oilers stars have succumbed to injuries and have been out of action, including captain Connor McDavid. With the team so close to the playoffs, a lot of the responsibilities were weighed upon Leon Draisaitl‘s shoulders. However, during tonight’s match against the Sharks, the team’s leading goalscorer also took a major hit, and fans are almost seeing red.
On April 3, Golden Era Hockey posted on X, highlighting the frightful condition of the Oilers’ locker room. “This season is cursed,” reads the caption of the post that listed all the Edmonton stars that have been injured. In the second period of the game against San Jose, Draisaitl left the ice with an undisclosed injury and did not return for the rest of the game.
He skated shakily toward the bench before retiring to the dressing room. A fresh injury or a recurrence of the one that kept him out for a few games last month? There’s been no confirmation on that front, but Draisaitl’s misfortune is only the latest in the long line of injuries that have wreaked havoc for the team in recent days.
McDavid: injured
Draisaitl: injured
Ekholm: injured
Skinner: injured
Frederic: injured
Jones: employed
= Nightmare
This season is cursed #LetsGoOilers
— Golden Era Hockey (@NHLGoldenEra) April 4, 2025
The Oilers’ superstar captain, McDavid, suffered a lower-body injury in mid-March during the game against the Winnipeg Jets and has been kept on the sidelines since. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch believed McDavid could be available before the start of the post-season. While that sounds assuring, the condition of his teammates trades off the high hopes significantly.
Netminder Stuart Skinner and defenseman Mattias Ekholm are also dealing with injuries of their own, as is Trent Frederic. Thankfully, both Skinner and Ekholm could be back on the roster for the Oilers’ next home game against the Blues on April 9. The same might be true for the captain as well. But the biggest dig was the last line which simply read “Jones: employed.” Ouch.
However, with so many injuries just days before the playoffs, the fans are concerned. While the Oilers managed to pull off a narrow 3-2 victory despite Draisaitl’s woes, the team’s loyalists are fearful that the season could crumble before the Oilers have the opportunity to stamp their mark.
Oilers fans brace themselves for a bumpy ride ahead
The Oilers won the Western Conference finals last season and went on to reach the Stanley Cup finals, where they ultimately succumbed to the Florida Panthers. But with their injury woes this time around, many fans seem convinced that last season’s success might not be repeated this year. “Yep this is definitely not going to be the year. Starting to think last year was our only shot,” grumbled one fan in the comment section. “Yup, going to be hard to get as far as they did last year,” another fan reiterated the concern once again.
With the playoffs starting in just 2 weeks, it isn’t hard to see why fans are so pessimistic of their chances this time around. The numbers say it all: during last year’s playoffs, Draisaitl scored 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points, while McDavid scored 8 goals and 34 assists for 42 points. No matter how the team steps up in their absence, this is not the kind of production that can be replicated.
However, it seems like other fans are convinced it was inviting the Canadian PM Mark Carney to practice with the team that brought about dark times for the Oilers. “He’s a lifelong Oilers fan and Oilers fans are welcome here for sure. It’s definitely a unique thing,” Connor McDavid said about having Carney among their ranks on March 21, but the fanbase doesn’t seem to share his enthusiasm.
“Carney curse,” wailed one fan in the comment section of the X post, while another bolstered the thought with the statement, “The Carney Curse continues.” Well, with the spate of injuries that followed Carney’s participation in the morning skate, it’s no wonder fans are keeping things superstitious.
But others were more outraged at the sight of the recently acquired Max Jones on the team. “The fact he’s in the lineup for the Oil is comical,” bemoaned a fan who clearly didn’t rate Jones’ ability to positively contribute. It was a common refrain in the comment section, with many fans chiming in to voice their unhappiness at the game time Jones was getting. Considering that this is a player who was sent to the AHL just a few months ago, their frustration is understandable. After all, in 12 games for Edmonton (and 7 for the Boston Bruins) this season, Jones has managed just a single assist. Not good at all, even for a bottom 6 forward.
What about you? Who do you think can help the Oilers in these trying times? Tell us who gets your vote of confidence in the comments below!
The post Chants Of ‘Curse’ Increase As Oilers Witness Saddening Times With Limping Draisaitl: “Going To Be Hard” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
