In my last article, I discussed how the Oilers are having major issue defending which is why they are in the 3-1 hole they are in. However, another big issue are injuries. I wrote in an earlier article how the Oilers are entering the playoffs bruised and battered. Well, its worse than I had anticipated.
Connor McDavid
Cleary the Oilers captain is not right. Like everyone has observed, he does not have the same explosiveness or shiftiness. Not having Connor at 100% is a huge blow as he can single handedly drag a team to the Finals. Hopefully he feels a little better for the next game.
Leon Draisaitl
Another player who just does not seem to be 100%. This was to be expected given the nature of his injury and how quickly he retuned to game action. Not having both you stars running at full tilt really sucks.
Jason Dickinson
The Oilers best pickup at the deadline, he's been in and out of the lineup with injury. When he's in, he brings stability to the lineup and is an effective players in all areas. He's obviously playing hurt, if he can play at all. He's an important cog in the oilers lineup id they want to win.
Adam Henrique
He's been in and out of the lineup all season with injury. He has not played the last 3 games and his status for game 5 in he's most likely out. Not having him is a severe blow to the Oilers consistent ability to win draws.
So in summary, the Oilers have four centermen either out with injury or severely affected by the injury they are playing through. While there are other reasons for their current situation, not having any of your four renters at full health makes things difficult when it comes to winning draws and playing an effective 200 foot game.