The world’s best hockey player and star captain of the Edmonton Oilers looks set to be sidelined for at least one game, but it could be longer.

Connor McDavid made his Columbus debut Monday night, taking the slide to the left side after McDavid was set up by Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov on his first shift of the game.

The Oilers star stood up and carefully left the ice on his own.

National Hockey League team McDavid’s first term miss the rest of the game due to lower body injury.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told the media after the game: 6-1 defeat to the Blue Jackets, where McDavid will return to Edmonton for evaluation. The Oilers will play the third of a four-game road trip against the Predators in Nashville on Thursday.

McDavid flew with the team to Nashville after the game Monday night before getting a charter To Edmonton.

TSN NHL reporter Chris Johnston said Tuesday morning that news about McDavid’s injury likely wouldn’t come until Wednesday.

“I would expect extreme caution during his recovery,” Johnston told host Gino Reda. Part of Insider Trading on That’s Hockey on TSN.

“We know he won’t play on Thursday, especially when Edmonton is at Nashville, but even if the injury itself isn’t that serious, I wouldn’t be surprised if the layoff is longer than that just because of his injuries. We’ll want to err on the side of caution.”

Edmonton-based TSN reporter Ryan Rishaug hosts a meeting post game episode between I Got Your Place Back podcast On Monday night, former NHL players Jason Strudwick and Rob Brown said that while there was “early word” that McDavid’s injury was “not too serious,” it was notable that No. 97 would return to Edmonton immediately.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid during NHL action against the Nashville Predators on October 17, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee (George Walker IV/Associated Press)“I don’t have any more details, but I think when we hear there’s an injury and we hear it’s serious, we know it means something for sure,” Rishaug said.

“It’s not that bad when we hear it’s not too serious. However, he’s heading home, likely missing at least one game, so we’re not necessarily going to try to play doctor here.”

Strudwick said McDavid’s spill into the boards “wasn’t a violent collision” but that it “scared him sometimes.”

“I feel like he might have changed things,” Strudwick said. “Maybe he sprained a joint or something in his leg?”

Brown also said he was wary of thinking the injury was something simple or short-term.

“When they quickly announced he wasn’t coming back, I was like, ‘Okay, it’s weird they made that call,’ and after the game, when Knoblauch said he was going back to Edmonton for evaluation, Brown said the anxiety rose a little more.

“I don’t think the injury will be a long-term thing, but it’s worrying enough that they’re talking about missing games. When this injury just happened it didn’t seem like much and the assessment is: In the match.) There are coaches and doctors around but they’re already talking about missing games.”

From left, Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl celebrates his winning goal in overtime against the host Detroit Red Wings with wingers Vasily Podkolzin and Connor Brown on October 27, 2024. The Oilers won the game 3-2. (Duane Burleson/Associated Press)

squad shuffling

With McDavid out, Strudwick and Brown agreed it would make the most sense to keep Leon Draisaitl at center with Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in the opening minutes. The trio has been used occasionally as a forward line since pre-season.

They said all players need to be at their best with McDavid out of the lineup, but Brown said Draisaitl in particular needs to step up as most of the Oilers’ forwards struggle to score goals.

With six goals and four assists, the 29-year-old Draisaitl leads the Oilers in team scoring with 10 points and McDavid (three goals, seven assists).

“When you look at the rest of the squad right now, the top six players have three guys (Arvidsson, Zach Hyman and Vasily Podkolzin) who have zero goals on the season,” Brown said.

Apart from Leon, they only have one striker to play on Thursday… (who has) two goals on the season, and that’s Skinner. “No other striker has two goals, so (Draisaitl) must definitely be at his best because there are a lot of players at the moment who are not performing below expectations in 10 games into the season.”

They said a second line consisting of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman could form the second forward unit.

Johnston suggested that Nugent-Hopkins “could have a longer run at center” with McDavid out.

Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner celebrates a goal with teammates during an NHL game against the Nashville Predators on October 17, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee (George Walker IV/Associated Press)

Give Skinner key power play role

They also agreed to have Skinner take over McDavid’s puck-carrying role on the power play.

“I know they used Arvidsson (on the second unit), but I thought Arvidsson had a really good game offensively, but that was the only game he had a point all season,” Brown said. “There were games where Skinner was the Oilers’ best player.”

Strudwick said he wanted Skinner shot.

“I would tell him, ‘Shoot the puck,'” he said. “Shoot because him and Hyman are kind of the same guy. They go to the front of the net more. That’s why I want them.”

Call expected from Bakersfield

Johnston said the Oilers will call up a forward from their American Hockey League affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif., before Thursday’s game, as Edmonton carries only 12 healthy forwards.

It could be Noah Philp or Matt Savoie flying to Nashville.