Frank Seravalli: Connor McDavid's Recovery Could Follow a Similar Timeline to Panthers' Aleksander Barkov

Last night, an NHL captain returned from injury and another took his place. Aleksander Barkov finally returned after missing the last eight games with a high ankle sprain, and Connor McDavid suffered a lower-body injury.

The Edmonton Oilers had to watch their captain Connor McDavid leave the ice only 37 seconds into the first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He was tripped by the defenseman Zach Werenski and collided with the boards in an awkward fall. He left the game, and the Oilers confirmed he would not return. McDavid's team ended up losing 6 to 1.

While we await further updates on his health status, experts are looking for any clues about what we can expect regarding Connor McDavid's recovery.

On Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli shared his take on the situation. He stated that the best-case scenario for McDavid and the Oilers would be if the captain's injury were like Aleksander Barkov's.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

On October 10th, the Panthers lost their captain to a high ankle sprain during a game against the Ottawa Senators. He collided with the boards after a tough race to the puck against Tim Stutzle.

Barkov returned last night after missing eight games.

If experts believe the best-case scenario for the Oilers would be a similar recovery, it means that McDavid could miss even more games than Barkov did.

The Oilers aren't off to the start they wanted to. After a rough 2023-24 start, they wanted to avoid repeating their past struggles. With a 4-5-1 record, it's not as bad as last year, but it's still not good enough for the team's high standards.

Edmonton will face a few hot teams in the next few weeks, like the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames. Without McDavid, it won't be easy for the Oilers to get back on a winning track.

An official update is expected soon, stay tuned.