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Oilers Exit in First Round as Draisaitl Withdraws From World Championship

The early exit highlights Edmonton’s season-long defensive lapses.

Overview

  • Edmonton’s season ended with a 5-2 loss in Game 6 at Anaheim on Friday, giving the Ducks a 4-2 series win.
  • DEB sport director Christian Künast confirmed Saturday that Leon Draisaitl will skip the 2026 World Championship to rest his knee, saying the forward was never at 100 percent.
  • Draisaitl returned from a mid-March knee injury for the playoffs and posted three goals and seven assists in six games after saying he had played through the issue.
  • Künast said defenseman Moritz Seider and goalie Philipp Grubauer are expected to join Germany’s final tune-up, with a target of the May 10 USA friendly if medical checks go well.
  • Canadian outlets and team voices cited the same problems that dogged Edmonton all year, including inconsistency, soft team defense, shaky goaltending and a weak penalty kill, even with two recent trips to the Stanley Cup Final and mounting questions about the roster’s window.