With plenty to play for on Saturday, the Oilers could have Connor McDavid back in the lineup after the captain missed the last two games while tending to a lower-body ailment.
“We’ll see tomorrow,” Knoblauch said of number 97’s status. “I think it’s probably 50/50. Like I said before, it’s been different. If it was the playoffs, I think it’d be very close if not playing for sure. He’s been getting better and better. He’s been really close, and it’s been questionable for a couple days now, so tomorrow we’ll see.”
McDavid, who’s sitting at 31 goals and 99 assists on the season, said Friday morning this final stretch of the season is a balancing act between making sure he and his teammates are in optimal physical condition for the playoffs while also pushing to win as many games as possible.
“I never want to miss games,” he said. “It’s frustrating. But at the end of the day, we’re after bigger things here, and everyone being healthy is priority number one.
“We still have lots to play for coming down the stretch. We keep saying that there’s seeding, there’s positioning, there’s all those types of things – all while maintaining a healthy group.
“I’m not a big believer in resting guys, but with that being said, six games in nine days is a lot. So if we rest guys, that’s just the circumstances we’re in, but I think you want to be pedal to the metal, foot on the gas all the way to the end and into Game 1.”