Zack Ostapchuk of the San Jose Sharks keeps his eyes on the puck near Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard, while Brett Kulak steps in to defend during the third period of their NHL game in Edmonton on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo: Amber Bracken / The Canadian Press)
The Edmonton Oilers are heading to the playoffs after a 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. While the victory was a much-needed boost, the team’s excitement was quickly overshadowed by injuries to two key players—Mattias Ekholm and Zach Hyman. Both exited the game and did not return, raising concerns about their availability for the post-season.
Connor McDavid was the star of the night, assisting on all four Oilers goals. His performance helped seal Edmonton’s sixth consecutive playoff appearance—an impressive stretch that echoes the team’s golden years in the 1980s. But the bigger story from the night was what the Oilers lost along the way.
After the game, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared that one of the injured players might not be ready for the start of the playoffs. However, he stopped short of naming which one, saying a final decision will depend on medical evaluations.
The team’s roster is already thin. Several regulars are missing, including Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jake Walman, Evander Kane, John Klingberg, and Trent Frederic. It’s a long list, and Knoblauch admitted that the team’s good fortune with injuries in past seasons seems to have run out.
“We’ve avoided these problems for a while, but now it’s hit us,” Knoblauch said. “It’s just some bad luck and untimely injuries.”
Veteran forward Corey Perry didn’t sugarcoat the situation either. He acknowledged how tough it is to lose players like Hyman and Ekholm, who are crucial on the ice. Still, Perry believes the Oilers can adapt.
“There are guys ready to step up,” he said. “It’s not ideal, but we’ve still got time to pull together and be ready.”
Defenceman Brett Kulak echoed Perry’s thoughts. He pointed out that this isn’t a new challenge—they’ve been juggling missing players for over a month now. He’s encouraged by how the rest of the team is stepping into bigger roles and maintaining their momentum.
One small piece of good news came with the return of goalie Stuart Skinner, although he watched from the bench while Calvin Pickard made 22 saves to earn the win.
Despite the injury list growing, the Oilers showed resilience. With three games left in the regular season, they’ve now won two in a row and five of their last seven. Friday’s goals came from Evan Bouchard, Ty Emberson, Perry, and Connor Brown—proof that the depth is delivering when needed most.
McDavid, back from an eight-game absence, has made an immediate impact with seven assists in two games. He’s now just three points shy of reaching the 100-point mark for the fifth straight season. If he does, he’ll tie Marcel Dionne for the third-most 100-point seasons in NHL history—only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have more.
McDavid also hit another milestone on Friday. With his assist on Edmonton’s first goal, he now holds the team record for most points on opening goals, passing none other than Gretzky himself.
As the Oilers move toward the playoffs, the focus will be on getting healthy and staying competitive. They’ve proven they can fight through adversity. Now, they’ll need to keep pushing forward—one game at a time.
