BLOG: McDavid day-to-day with lower-body injury

EDMONTON, AB – Oilers captain Connor McDavid is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and could be out of the lineup for Wednesday night's clash with the Golden Knights, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said following Tuesday’s practice at Rogers Place.

McDavid hasn’t participated in practice the last two days since taking his final 33-second shift late in Saturday’s 4-2 win in the Battle of Alberta – a victory where he recorded his 98^th and 99^th assists of the season to reach 130 points to rank himself third overall in NHL scoring.

The 27-year-old was held back from returning to the ice on Saturday after “feeling some discomfort”,  Knoblauch said, and his absence from practice early this week leaves him questionable for Edmonton’s important Pacific Division battle against rivals Vegas on Wednesday and his opportunity to become the fourth different player in NHL history to record 100 assists.

“He is day to day, so we'll find out tomorrow or definitely the weekend,” he added. “There is a chance [he doesn’t play]. He's day-to-day. It's a maintenance thing.”

The Oilers have the luxury of three days off between games to assess McDavid's fitness and make the final call on whether he'll be able to go against the Golden Knights, which is a decision that will be made in conjunction with the captain, the coach and the Oilers medical staff.

"It'll be in Connor's hands. He'll make the decision on how he feels," Knoblauch said. "We don't know how bad the injury is and we don't know how bad or how early he can come in. He has the best feel of what's best for him and obviously, we're looking long term and we're being protective, but ultimately he knows how he feels and we'll have that discussion with him tomorrow morning and then we'll find out."

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs fast approaching, the Oilers want to err on the side of caution with their captain and their entire lineup when it comes to making sure they're getting the rest they need before the end of the regular season. As with the call-up of Dylan Holloway on Tuesday, the Oilers have plenty of capable bodies who can fill minutes if they have to give players like McDavid a break down the stretch.

"The most important thing is playoffs and that we are ready. I think we've got depth," Knoblauch said. "Obviously you're not going to replace Connor, but we do have other healthy bodies and we want to make sure everyone's healthy as much as possible going into the playoffs."