PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Sharks

The Edmonton Oilers will be without Leon Draisaitl when they host the San Jose Sharks in an important Pacific Division matchup at Rogers Place on Tuesday night.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet at 7:00pm MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED. Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Sharks

EDMONTON, AB – Time to dig in without Draisaitl.

The Edmonton Oilers will continue their playoff push against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Rogers Place without the services of Leon Draisaitl, who left Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators and is expected to miss some time with a lower-body injury.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t have an update post-game or after Monday’s practice about the German superstar’s status beyond that he was unsure of how long he’ll be out of the lineup, and that his absence will be a massive loss for the Oilers as they work to lock down a playoff spot with 14 games left in the regular season.

“We don't want to aggravate it or make it worse,” Knoblauch said on Monday. “We're looking at the big picture, but these games are important. There's nothing for sure right now when it comes to making the playoffs, and we need to win these games, but if he's not healthy to play, he's not going to play.”

Despite the uncertainty over Draisaitl and the playoff picture in the Pacific Division, the Oilers aren’t able to roll the dice when it comes to No. 29’s availability, so it’s going to take a team effort to fill the void left behind by the German if he’s facing an extended absence.

If that’s even possible, says his teammates.

“You don't fill the void,” the captain said. “The old cliché is it takes everybody, and everybody's gonna have to be better if that happens, so who knows what'll happen.”

"A player like that is very hard, if not impossible, to replace," Dickinson added. "A lot of respect for what his game brings to the team and the value that he brings. So with that, a huge opportunity for guys to step up with a lot more ice time. One more guy gets to slot in on the first power play unit, and Leon's really good on faceoffs so it opens up a door for guys to take some key draws.

Draisaitl sustained the injury after being checked into Nashville’s bench by Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt following his 35^th goal of the season on the power play, which gave the Oilers an early 1-0 lead in Sunday’s win.

After trying to skate it off over his next two shifts and in between whistles, Draisaitl didn’t return following the first intermission with what was classified as a lower-body injury by Knoblauch on Monday.

The Oilers responded immediately when his linemates Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin confronted Wiesblatt, resulting in a slashing penalty for Kapanen and fighting majors for both Podkolzin and defenceman Nic Hague – a shorthanded situation that Knoblauch said that he didn’t mind taking.

Over the next 40 minutes following Draisaitl’s exit, the Oilers put more focus on their defensive game to see out the victory, defending a 2-1 lead made possible by Matt Savoie’s 11^th goal of the season and eventual game-winner before Zach Hyman capped the victory with empty-netter.

“It's a testament to everybody digging in and doing what was necessary to win,” Dickinson said. “You don't need to win games by large margins. One goal is all you need to win a game. If we're able to mitigate scoring chances and keep them to the outside, usually that's a good recipe for success. From there, the skill can take over and just score the goals that we need to score and get the job done.”

Without Draisaitl available, Jason Dickinson and Jash Samanski should see elevated roles, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could return down the middle after coming back from a personal matter against Nashville on a strong third line with Dickinson and Roslovic.

Savoie has shown well in a top-line role next to McDavid and Hyman, and the rookie from St. Albert should get an extended look there to continue his success since the Olympic break, recording nine points over his last 10 games (2G, 7A).

McDavid said he's enjoyed feeding off the energy Savoie brings to the table.

"It's been fun the last couple of games," he said. "I'm getting the puck in great spots because of him. Getting the puck off the wall is not an easy thing to do. It's a difficult thing to do and he seems to do it really well."