The original timeline for McDavid's return was labelled as two to three weeks by the Oilers, but that was later shortened to two weeks by Coach Knoblauch. McDavid was on the ice again at practice today, and now it's looking possible that he's eyeing an early return to the lineup.
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has suggested that McDavid could make his return on November 9th against the Vancouver Canucks. That would only be 12 days after he suffered the injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and only 4 fully missed games.
When asked after practice, McDavud didn't rule out returning for that game against Vancouver.
When McDavid crashed his ankle into the boards, the primary concern from the Oilers was any structural damage or a high-grade ankle sprain. Thankfully, McDavid got the best case scenario diagnosis, and the medical team around him has done incredible work to get him back quickly. McDavid even hired his own team of personal trainers to assist him in his recovery from this injury.
Anytime the Oilers lose their superstar it's obviously a worry, but in the two games without Connor McDavid, the Oilers have rallied to play their most complete games so far this season. Hopefully the team will be able to take a lesson from this time without McDavid, and when he comes back, the team begins to reach its mid-season form.
Regardless, it's great to see the Oilers captain back on the ice at practice for optional skates with some teammates, putting in the work to get back into the lineup. When he returns, he'll likely be even more motivated to tear up the scoresheet.
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