Leon Draisaitl Comment About Return Timeline Has Oilers Fans in a Panic

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl stretches before a game

The Edmonton Oilers announced last week that superstar Leon Draisaitl would miss the rest of the regular season with his lower-body injury. That insinuates that he would be back for the playoffs. But fans in Edmonton are panicking a bit after hearing an interview that Draisaitl did over in his homeland, where he's gone for treatment. 

Translated, he said, “It will definitely take a few weeks. I hope we go far enough so I can help the team again.”

Whoa. That's not quite the same as 'he'll only be out for the rest of the regular season.' What does "go far enough" mean? The second round? The Conference Finals? The Finals?? 

Insider Elliotte Friedman tried to calm the masses by posting a note that the timeline for the Oilers' superstar seems to remain the same, despite the trip to Germany, and the player's comments.

Here is the full translation of the interview: 

 Draisaitl paid a visit to the same sports medicine specialist in Germany, Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfart, that Auston Matthews flew over to see in December of 2024 when he wasn't recovering as hoped from an injury. 

Muller-Wohlfart certainly has a notable resume. He was Bayern Munich’s team physician from 1977 to 2015 and 2017 to 2020, as well as being the physician for Gold Medal-winning track star Usain Bolt for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, the Oilers, without Draisaitl, were thoroughly dispatched by the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 Saturday night. The Oil now find themselves three points back of the Anaheim Ducks, who are in first place in the Pacific Division. Edmonton is five points ahead of the LA Kings, who are chasing the final playoff berth in the West. 

Photo: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images


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