Leon Draisaitl names $2,000,000 goalie as the best wedding crasher on the team

Leon Draisaitl had a funny answer when asked about the best wedding crasher on the Edmonton Oilers. After thinking for a while, he confidently named Calvin Pickard. According to Draisaitl, the backup goalie has the perfect wedding crasher energy.

Sportsnet shared the moment in a video on X. Pickard is on a two-year, $2 million contract, which he signed on June 28, 2024.

Leon Draisaitl’s joke aside, his return is important for the Oilers. The team has struggled without him and Connor McDavid.

Edmonton lost 4-3 to the Dallas Stars in their second game without both players. They made a strong push in the third period but could not complete the comeback.

The absence of McDavid and Draisaitl has left fans and the organization eager for their return. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are approaching, and the team needs them back.

Coach Kris Knoblauch shared an update on their injuries. He said Leon Draisaitl should return sooner than McDavid, possibly within a week.

“Leon will be back sooner than Connor. We are looking at a week or maybe shorter than that for Leon,” Knoblauch said (via NHL.com). “Connor will be longer than that.”

Connor McDavid’s situation is less clear. He suffered a lower-body injury against the Winnipeg Jets on March 20. Knoblauch suggested his recovery will take more time. There is no set timeline for his return, so he could miss more games.

Oilers coach praised team’s effort without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in 4-3 loss to Stars

The Edmonton Oilers lost 4-3 to the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place on Wednesday. Wyatt Johnston opened the scoring in the first period. Jason Robertson scored three straight goals in the second. Roope Hintz scored three assists and Jake Oettinger made 41 saves.

Edmonton responded in the third. Corey Perry, Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman scored, but they couldn’t tie the game.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said his team made costly mistakes. He was concerned about Stuart Skinner, who left after being kneed in the head by Mikko Rantanen.

“I anticipate him not traveling (to their game at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday),” Knoblauch said via NHL.com. “Obviously concerned about him. He’ll be looked after and we’ll find out exactly tomorrow what the situation is.”

He also said Edmonton played well without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

“I didn’t really see us being down 4-0, but we made some costly mistakes that gave them good opportunities,” Knoblauch added. “But I thought we did a lot of good things, and we’ve got to work like that for us to have any success. And for the most part, these two games without our two top centers, I think our guys have done that.”

The Edmonton Oilers will next face the Seattle Kraken on March 27 at 10 PM EDT.