Is Connor McDavid playing tonight against Vegas Golden Knights? Oilers receive major injury update

Connor McDavid has been nursing a lower-body injury since October 22. The Edmonton Oilers star has been out of action since then and was facing a timeline for return of two or three weeks. Recently, head coach Kris Knoblauch said if things went well, McDavid might be back closer to the two-week designation.

That appears to have been the case. According to hockey insider Elliotte Freidman, the forward will be back in the lineup tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights.

McDavid scored two goals in his last outing, a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers, who were already off to a bit of a slow start, have turned things around with a 4-2 run in the games since McDavid went down.

That includes wins over the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite a slow start, the Oilers remain the current betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season according to DraftKings. They opened the season with good odds after falling in Game 7 last season, and a slow start hasn’t hampered that. Losing McDavid could have derailed that entirely, but his absence has proven to be shorter than it could have been.

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Connor McDavid addresses recovery

Barring a change in the plans of the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid will be back on the ice tonight for the first time in a couple of weeks. The star forward was skating recently and he's progressed enough to play.

Connor McDavid is back (Imagn)

Before returning to the lineup, McDavid said via NHL of his injury:

“When it first happens, obviously you’re concerned that it’s maybe something a little more serious. But thankfully we got good news on it and I’ve been doing everything possible to make it feel better."

He continued:

“I’m not just sitting around waiting for it to feel better. I’m doing a lot of different things and honestly the team here, the medical staff, everybody’s great and understanding that I’m always pushing to play and trying to find that balance.”

Ultimately, McDavid did find that balance and is back in the lineup tonight. The Oilers are 6-6-1 this season, which is not what they expected off of a Stanley Cup Final run last year.

The Vegas Golden Knights, at 8-3-1, are off to a good start this year and this game will be an early test for the Oilers. Fortunately, their captain is back for it.