McDavid Returns as Oilers Aim for Division Lead Before 4 Nations Face-Off

EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid will return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup Monday night as they host the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place, aiming to close the gap on the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. McDavid, who served a three-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Jan. 18, is eager to rejoin the team. “Antsy to play, excited to get going,” McDavid said Monday. “It was a long week, just sitting around practicing. I’m ready to get going.”

The Oilers (31-15-3) enter the game one point behind the Golden Knights (31-15-4) with six games remaining before the 4 Nations Face-Off begins Feb. 12-20 in Montreal. McDavid, who had a four-game point streak (four goals, three assists) prior to his suspension, has 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) in 43 games this season. His return is a significant boost for the Oilers, who went 2-1-0 during his absence.

“He’s a difference-maker, obviously, our leader, but I think the guys did a good job without him,” said an Oilers forward. “It’s almost easier when you know it’s only three games and then he’s back, so we can just try and dig it out.”

Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch emphasized the importance of maintaining high performance levels despite McDavid’s return. “Any time you get your best player back after a stretch, it’s a nice addition,” Knoblauch said. “But it’s important that everyone plays at that high level and doesn’t just take for granted that we are getting Connor back.”

Leon Draisaitl led the Oilers during McDavid’s suspension with five points (two goals, three assists) in three games. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman also contributed significantly, with Nugent-Hopkins recording three goals and an assist, and Hyman adding two goals and an assist in a win against Vancouver.

The Oilers have been on an 18-5-1 run since a slow start to the season, reminiscent of last year’s turnaround under Knoblauch. Despite starting 0-3-0 this season, Edmonton has climbed to fourth in the NHL with 65 points. “We obviously learned something from last year’s start,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “Our mindset has always been to stick with it in games. It’s a long season, so we understand that if we get to first now, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy down the stretch.”

The Kraken (22-25-3), coming off a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, will face the Oilers for the second time this season. Seattle lost the previous meeting 4-2 on Jan. 4. Jaden Schwartz leads the Kraken with 16 goals, while Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand have each scored 14.

Monday’s game, broadcast on TVAS, SNW, KONG, and KHN, begins at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Oilers are focused on securing home-ice advantage for the playoffs, a priority McDavid highlighted. “Home ice is something that we’ve talked about a lot,” he said. “Being as high as you can in the standings is a good thing for that.”