The Edmonton Oilers will be without Connor McDavid for their next three games after the NHL suspended the superstar forward following an illegal cross-check to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday.
It's a big suspension for one of the brightest stars in all of hockey, and some seem to feel that the league was a bit too harsh with its disciplinary measures. Among those is fellow Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, who told reporters Tuesday that he wasn't in agreement with the length of McDavid's suspension.
"I don't have much to say towards it. Certainly think three games is a little too much, for either side. But, I guess we don't overly care about having our best players in the league in the game," said Draisaitl.
"Certainly think three games is a little too much..for either side, but I guess we don't overly care about having our best players in the league in the game."
Everyone’s dropping quotes today, Leon’s turn to get in on the action 😂🍿
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Draisaitl noted that Garland didn't receive any discipline for his involvement in the altercation, which included pinning McDavid to the ground during an extended skirmish prior to the Oilers star's retaliatory cross-check.
"That's, to me, clearly a penalty," said Draisaitl. "Connor doesn't want to tangle with Garland in that situation. There's 12 seconds left. We're looking to score, we're not looking to tangle with anybody. I also know the game happens quick and the refs aren't going to make the right call every single time, I understand that. But in that instance, I think that could've been avoided."
Officials could certainly have intervened and blown a whistle while McDavid and Garland grappled for position, but ultimately chose to let things go uninterrupted. The lack of stoppage in play enabled things to escalate to the level they did. While McDavid's match penalty and subsequent suspension were likely warranted, it's arguable that the ban could have been limited to two games, or even one.
McDavid will miss the Oilers' upcoming games against the Washington Capitals, Canucks and Buffalo Sabres before being eligible to return next Monday against the Seattle Kraken.
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Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.
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