EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid did not practice with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and is questionable to return against the Arizona Coyotes at Rogers Place on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, SCRIPPS).
McDavid sustained a lower body injury in a 4-2 win at the Calgary Flames on Saturday and did not play in a 5-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
"He's still day to day," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Thursday. "If it was a playoff game, he would have played last night, but he's still questionable for tomorrow."
McDavid is currently third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, which goes to the player with the most points in the regular season. He has 130 points (31 goals, 99 assists), trailing Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, who has 137 points (51 goals, 86 assists) and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has 139 points (43 goals, 96 assists). McDavid has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in his past 11 games.
The win against Vegas was the third game McDavid missed because of injury this season. McDavid missed two games after sustaining an upper-body injury in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 21. He returned to play against the Calgary Flames in the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic Oct. 29, when he had an assist in a 5-2 win at Commonwealth Stadium.
McDavid was seen on camera with his teammates on their way to the locker room after the victory against the Golden Knights on Wednesday.
"He's not in a wheelchair or has a boot on or anything like that," Knoblauch said. "He's doing pretty good, and he enjoyed being one of the guys and enjoyed the game and not have the pressure on him. He was able to cheer on his teammates and participate in the celebration after the game and I think he enjoyed it. Obviously, he would rather be on the ice, but I think little this time away, he can reset, get fully rested and healed and be ready to go."
Edmonton (48-24-5) is second in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Vancouver Canucks with two games in hand. The Oilers host the Canucks on Saturday.
Knoblauch said the result against the Coyotes on Friday will not factor into when McDavid returns to the lineup. Edmonton, which clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, has five games remaining in the regular season.
The playoffs begin April 20.
"Anytime we have a chance of getting him into the lineup, I don't think we have to worry about pulling him out and losing his spot." Knoblauch said. "I like the way we responded, I liked how we played, but if he's ready to play, he's coming back in. I think just the biggest picture moving forward is his health and is he 100 percent ready and good to go when playoffs start because that's when it's most important."
