US EditionDraisaitl on Leave of Absence, Expected Back Next Week: Oilers
Leon Draisaitl, fifth in NHL scoring with 67 points, will miss upcoming games as he returns to Germany for a family illness, with a planned return next week.
- On Jan. 17, 2026, the Edmonton Oilers announced Leon Draisaitl is taking a brief leave to attend to a family illness in Germany, and the club said he is expected to return later next week.
- Draisaitl returned home to Germany to deal with a family matter, and the Edmonton Oilers asked for privacy on his behalf while he attends to the situation.
- At morning skate, the Oilers shifted lines by sliding Vasily Podkolzin to the first line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will centre the second line with Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen.
- He will miss at least the next two games, including Saturday versus the Vancouver Canucks and Sunday against the St. Louis Blues, and it is unclear if he will return for Tuesday and Thursday.
- Given his 67 points and power-play role, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has been involved in 67 of Edmonton's 159 goals and takes a third of the team's draws, impacting the Pacific Division race.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Rutland Herald
Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl taking brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family member's illness in Germany, the team announced Saturday.
The German ice hockey superstar of the Edmonton Oilers will not be available for the time being. Leon Draisaitl travels to Germany. It has private reasons.
castanet.net
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl taking brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness
EDMONTON — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness in Germany. The NHL team said Draisaitl is expected to return later next week in a statement released Saturday, hours before a game in Vancouver against the Canucks. The Oilers asked for privacy on Draisaitl's behalf. Draisaitl ranks second on the Oilers — and fifth in the NHL — with 67 points (25 goals, 42 assists) in 48 games thi…
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