NHL Injury Report: Oilers' Rookie Sensation Connor McDavid Out Indefinitely with Broken Clavicle
The Edmonton Oilers face a setback in their Pacific Division campaign with the news that 18-year-old sensation Connor McDavid will be out for some time to have his broken left clavicle repaired. The teenager will be undergoing surgery that involves inserting plates and screws, which means that he likely won't be coming back until after New Year.
McDavid was sent by team management to the hospital for further evaluation after the game against the Philadelphia Flyers. General manager Peter Chiarelli relayed the news to several media outlets on Wednesday.
The Canadian ice hockey center caught the injury as he was rushing into Philadelphia's end, appearing to lose his balance and crashing into the wall, while both Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Manning were already closing in. The tough kid did get up on his own power and managed to go to the bench.
The team hopes that the NHL rookie of the year is able to return as soon as February so that he could still contend for the Calder Trophy.
Talking about the severity of the injury, Chiarelli told reporters, "We're not talking week to week, we're talking months. No definitive time frame, but plural months."
Oilers winger Matt Hendricks admitted that Connor's absence is a major blow to the team because he is a "huge piece of the puzzle." However, he is quick to add that it shouldn't be considered as something that will end their season. "Guys who are smaller pieces have to widen their role now, to fill the gap," he added.
Interestingly, McDavid isn't actually the first top draft pick for the Oilers to get injured during the rookie season. Jim Matheson of Edmonton Journal reported that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also got injured (shoulder) in his rookie year in 2011–2012, missing 20 games in the process.
For Chiarelli, the injury is a serious one, but the good news is that McDavid is just a teenager, which means he is still young to aptly recover from it.
