NHL Buzz: Draisaitl out for Oilers against Jets

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Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl did not play for the Oilers against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

The forward sustained an undisclosed injury during a 7-1 win against the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday. He got tangled up with Utah defenseman Olli Maatta and fell to the ice before skating to the bench during the second period.

Draisaitl finished the game, playing 22:23, but sat out practice on Wednesday as well as the morning skate on Thursday.

"We'll treat this as day to day," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "And we'll need guys obviously stepping up with Leon's absence, the way he's been playing not necessarily lately but for the entire season.

"It's definitely being cautious. We're near the end of the regular season, hitting the playoffs. We want 100 percent from Leon when he's healthy, and this is something we do not want to linger. We feel this is something he probably could play through, maybe it's not an issue -- we certainly don't want it to be an issue for the long-term -- so this is definitely the right play, we believe."

Draisaitl leads the NHL with 49 goals and is second in points with 101, four points behind Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. He had not missed a game this season.

Edmonton (40-24-4) is second in the Pacific Division, two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights.

"Leon has played through so much, he's a battler, so it's not too often he comes out of the lineup," Knoblauch said. "So we're just being cautious here." -- Gerry Moddejonge

Carolina Hurricanes

Dmitry Orlov returned against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

The defenseman had missed the previous five games because of an upper-body injury. He has 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 62 games.

Forward Andrei Svechnikov traveled with Carolina and participated in the morning skate, but he missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

"I'd say doubtful for tonight, but he looks better," Brind'Amour said before the game. "[He] had a good practice, but I think he's probably doubtful."

Svechnikov has 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 63 games this season for the Hurricanes (41-22-4), who have won seven in a row and are second in the Metropolitan Division. -- Max Miller

Philadelphia Flyers

Rasmus Ristolainen will be out week to week for the Flyers because of an upper-body injury.

The defenseman, who missed his fourth straight game on Thursday against the Washington Capitals, last played in a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on March 11. He had been listed as day to day since March 14.

Ristolainen has 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) and is averaging 22:39 of ice time in 63 games this season. He also has 97 hits and 94 blocked shots.

The Flyers (28-34-8) are nine points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Florida Panthers

Dmitry Kulikov is week to week for the Panthers, but the defenseman is expected to return before the regular season ends.

Kulikov sustained an upper-body injury at 17:26 of the first period of a 4-2 loss at the New York Islanders on Sunday after falling awkwardly in the neutral zone. He played eight shifts totaling 6:00 of ice time.

He has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 68 games this season, averaging 19:17 of ice time per game. He has 110 hits and 70 blocked shots.

Florida also is without defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who is serving a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and will not be eligible to return until the third game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Forwards Matthew Tkachuk (lower body) and Brad Marchand (upper body) also are out.

The Panthers (42-24-3), who in are first in the Atlantic Division, play their regular-season finale April 15.

Colorado Avalanche

Josh Manson will miss 3-4 weeks because of an upper-body injury, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday.

The defenseman had been listed as week to week after he was injured during a 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames on March 14. Manson left that game late in the second period and did not return.

He has 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 48 games this season.

It will mark the third time this season Manson is out for an extended period; he missed seven games from Feb. 6-March 4 because of a lower-body injury and 12 games from Nov. 30-Dec. 22 because of an upper-body injury. -- Dave McCarthy