Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl (29) moves the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against Chicago Blackhawks centre Teuvo Teravainen (86), Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)
January 17, 2026 - 6:52 AM
VANCOUVER — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness in Germany.
The NHL team said in a statement that the 30-year-old star is expected to return next week.
The news came just before the Oilers (23-17-8) took to the ice in Vancouver, where they'll face the Canucks on Saturday night.
“Obviously, we're going to miss Leon, and hopefully it's not very long. And obviously we support Leon," head coach Kris Knoblauch said after Edmonton's morning skate. "What's going on right now, it's an unfortunate situation.”
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). He is on pace for his fifth-straight campaign with more than 100 points and won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy last season after finishing the regular-season with the most goals in the league (52).
Over 48 games this season, Draisaitl has averaged 22:05 in ice time and been a key piece on Edmonton's potent power play, registering 31 points with the man advantage.
The German centre has not missed a game in the 2025-26 campaign.
“Obviously we'll miss him. But the job comes second," said Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
"Everybody in here is a brother, father, son, whatever it is, and that stuff comes first. He's got to go home and be with his family and we're obviously thinking about him and his entire family. We’ve got to take care of things.”
The Oilers are used to filling in gaps in the lineup, McDavid added, and saw several players take on added responsibilities when the team was beset by injuries last season.
“Lots of opportunity for guys to step up and make an impact," he said.
With Draisaitl out of the lineup, winger Vasily Podkolzin is expected to move up to the top line with McDavid and Zach Hyman.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to centre the second line, with Trent Frederic on the left wing and Kasperi Kapanen on the right.
“We had to obviously rearrange our lines a little bit, just with Leon and the role that he plays," Knoblauch said of the changes. "And, it's an opportunity.
"Podkolzin’s moving up with Connor, but also Frederic, who will play on the left side with Nuge. And Nuge, obviously that line's been really good. We didn't want to split it up, but we need a centreman, and Nuge is obviously the obvious choice.”
After Saturday's matchup against the Canucks, the Oilers host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, followed by home games against the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2026.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2026