McDavid Nears Oilers’ Scoring Record as Wild Face Injury Woes

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Connor McDavid is on the verge of climbing the Edmonton Oilers‘ all-time scoring list as the team prepares to face the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night. McDavid, with 1,041 points in 685 games, needs just two points to tie Hockey Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson for second place on the franchise’s scoring list. The Oilers’ captain has been in stellar form this season, tallying 59 points in 40 games.

The Wild, meanwhile, are grappling with a slew of injuries as they aim to rebound from a 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche last Thursday. Key players, including leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov, remain sidelined. Kaprizov, who has 50 points in 34 games, has missed nine games due to a lower-body injury. Defensemen Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin are also out, leaving the team shorthanded.

Wild coach John Hynes remains optimistic about his team’s progress. “They’re all making good progress,” Hynes said. “I wouldn’t classify the injuries as day to day, but their readiness could be day to day.” Despite the setbacks, the Wild have managed a 6-3 record in Kaprizov’s absence.

Edmonton enters the game on a hot streak, winning six of their last seven games and boasting a 17-4-1 record since November 21. Leon Draisaitl, who leads the NHL with 31 goals and ranks second with 64 points, has been a key contributor. McDavid, tied for fifth in the league with 59 points, continues to be a driving force for the Oilers.

The Wild’s home record has been a point of concern, with an 11-9-1 mark at Xcel Energy Center. Forward Yakov Trenin highlighted the team’s struggles. “Maybe on the road you keep the game more simple, more structured, and here it’s like, ‘Oh, we’re at home. We gotta dominate, play as a No.1 team.’ But losing some details I guess,” Trenin said.

Defenseman Declan Chisholm emphasized the importance of a strong start. “Definitely the first half of the first period is going to be huge,” Chisholm said. “If we can really bring the pressure out to them and hopefully hem them in their zone for the first few shifts, that can create some good momentum for us.”

The game, set for 8:30 p.m. ET, will be televised nationally in the United States on MAX, truTV, and TNT, and in Canada on SN and TVAS.