Oilers News & Rumours: Kapanen, Ingram, Draisaitl & More

As the Olympic break approaches, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a strong position and seem confident as they continue to push toward the postseason. As they aim to win their first Stanley Cup since 1990, after coming up short in the Stanley Cup Final in the previous two campaigns, the Oilers hope they can continue to find ways to win.

Related: Oilers Acquire Jamie Oleksiak in Suggested Trade With Kraken

In this edition of Oilers News & Rumours, we take a look at an injury update on Kasperi Kapanen, some strong play from Connor Ingram, a personal update on Leon Draisaitl, and more.

Oilers Receive Positive Update on Kasperi Kapanen

In the Oilers’ recent game against the St. Louis Blues, forward Kasperi Kapanen took an awkward fall into the boards. While he was able to get up and get off the ice under his own power, fans were concerned. Kapanen recently returned from injury and has been playing extremely well, and a positive update was provided by head coach Kris Knoblauch.

Knoblauch shares Kapanen’s injury “will not be a long-term thing.” #Oilers

— Tony Brar ???? (@TonyBrarOTV) January 19, 2026

The Oilers take on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday (Jan. 20) evening, where Kapanen isn’t expected to play. As of this article, the Oilers haven’t sent anyone down or recalled anyone to replace him while he misses time.

Connor Ingram Impressive Since Returning

Since making his return to professional hockey, Connor Ingram has become a feel-good story with the Oilers. The Oilers acquired him from the Utah Mammoth when he was ready to get back to playing, and after some conditioning and some games at the American Hockey League (AHL) level, the Oilers called Ingram up when Tristan Jarry went down with an injury.

Jarry has since returned, and Ingram’s play has been so solid that the Oilers have decided to run with three goalies for the foreseeable future. While the Oilers will have to make a decision on which two they will move forward with at some point, for now, it’s ideal to have three options to choose from.

Ingram, who is 28 years old, has five wins in nine games this season, adding one shutout. In those games, he has posted a 2.22 goals-against-average (GAA), a .917 save percentage (SV%), and a 4.6 goals-saved-above-expected (GSAX).

Leon Draisaitl Steps Away Due to a Personal Matter

The Oilers announced that star forward Leon Draisaitl would be away from the team for a little while as he returned home to Germany to tend to a personal matter, which was an illness in his family.

#Oilers statement re: Leon Draisaitl https://t.co/FgGcC8Pd2s

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 17, 2026

The Oilers asked for privacy regarding Draisaitl and his family at this time, but mentioned they expect him to return in about a week.

Oilers Nab Back-to-Back Blowout Wins

The Oilers played the Vancouver Canucks and Blues in their previous two games, and did so without Draisaitl. Against the Canucks, they picked up a 6-0 win, and then followed it up with a 5-0 win over the Blues.

While some fans around the league have questioned whether the Oilers’ current depth would allow them to make a deep playoff run, these last two games have proven they can. Kapanen, Vasily Podkolzin, and Ike Howard were among those who were able to produce offensively, and now, with Kapanen out, the team will have to rely on their depth even more.

As the 2025-26 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.