Oilers' McDavid out 2-3 weeks with ankle injury

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid will miss two to three weeks with an ankle injury, the team confirmed Wednesday.

McDavid was out after injuring his ankle in the first shift of Monday's game in Edmonton's 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was tripped by the stick of Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski while entering the offensive zone and his left leg collided awkwardly with the boards. McDavid left the ice on his own and was ejected from the game after skating just 37 seconds. There was no penalty in the play.

McDavid, 27, returned to Edmonton for further evaluation and the team announced that their captain is “expected to return to action in two to three weeks.”

Considered the best player in the world, McDavid is coming off a 132-point season for Edmonton in which he led them to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. In his 10th NHL season, McDavid has scored 992 points in 655 career games. McDavid's 1.51 career points per game average ranks behind only Wayne Gretzky (1.92) and Mario Lemieux (1.88) in NHL history.

For the second straight season, the Oilers are off to a slow start. Edmonton is 4-5-1 in its first 10 games, with a minus-13 goal differential. McDavid has 10 points in those games (3 goals, 7 assists).

Oilers coach Chris Knoblauch said McDavid's absence is an opening for others on the roster.

“It's more ice time, more opportunities,” he said after the Blue Jackets loss. “It's difficult whenever you're playing without your best player, but it's something we have to do [do]. Obviously, our team is going to look different.”