Connor McDavid to be sidelined for 2-3 weeks due to ankle injury

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is set to miss two to three weeks following an ankle injury, the team announced on Wednesday.

The injury occurred during his first shift in the Oilers' 6-1 defeat to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night when McDavid fell awkwardly.

This season, McDavid has recorded three goals and ten points over ten games. Last year, he missed six games, during which the Oilers struggled, achieving a 1-4-1 record without him. He was absent for two games before a coaching change in November sparked the team's performance and missed four games in the final month of the season.

According to Sportlogiq, Edmonton's offense has seen a notable decline in performance during the 19 games without McDavid since the 2016-17 season:

The Oilers have struggled at the start of this season, currently holding a record of 4-5-1 after losing their first three games. Key players are experiencing scoring slumps; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has registered one goal and four points, while last year's 54-goal-scorer, Zach Hyman, has only one assist.

Edmonton fell just short of winning the Stanley Cup last spring and entered the current season with hopes of contending for the championship, heavily relying on McDavid's contributions.

Last season, McDavid became the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a single season. He also became the sixth player and second skater to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while playing for the losing team.

At 27 years old, McDavid ranks 10th among active players with 992 points and 8th with 654 assists in 655 career NHL games.

The Oilers' upcoming schedule includes road games against the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, before returning home to face the New Jersey Devils on Monday.