Crisis averted: Connor McDavid's injury update finally revealed by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman had shed some rather positive news regarding Connor McDavid, as the Oilers superstar is expected to miss just a couple of weeks.

Connor McDavid will miss several weeks with a lower-body injury sustained on his first shift in Monday's game, as per NHL insider Elliotte Friedman. Because of it, Edmonton's captain was sent home from the team's road trip, leaving the Oilers with a huge hole in their lineup as they get ready to take on the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Fans were holding their breath, many fearing he could have been out months, so a couple of weeks is definitely a bit of a silver lining.

A huge loss for an Oilers team already stumping and struggling to find offense is McDavid's absence. He's not been the first part of the season in his typical point-per-game form, boasting 10 points in his first 10 games of the year, but McDavid has been crucial for helping Edmonton escape the early season tailspin it was in. His contribution goes far beyond that of a point-a-night player: he averages a remarkable 16.8 offensive plays per game, with Edmonton driving scoring chances the highest in the league behind Nathan MacKinnon.

Traditionally, the Oilers have been struggling without McDavid, who has stayed relatively healthy since his rookie season. In nine seasons, he's missed only 19 games, and during that stretch, the Oilers had a subpar 6-8-5 record. The Oilers' offense suffers when he's out; they average nearly one fewer goal per game than when he's playing. Of course, without their captain, they are facing a challenge for some of them to elevate amid one of the league's worst productions in offense, which as of now stands at an offensive output of just 2.2 goals per game.

One would expect an increase in responsibilities for those players who come next up in the call of responsibility, such as the ones following McDavid to step in. Nugent-Hopkins, mainly placed on his right-wing instead of playing at the center, certainly is taking on more additional help for sure. Hyman has found himself goalless early into this season despite loads of close scoring chances, especially to the highly dangerous and hot corner areas around his side, which makes him a power at his current position.

Connor McDavid is irreplaceable, and the Oilers certainly have a monumental task without their star man for at least the next two weeks. Still, they must learn to adjust on the fly. It will be quite a test of depth and toughness from Edmonton to be able to stick it out until their captain returns.

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