Edmonton Oilers star Draisaitl misses practice after Game 1

VANCOUVER — Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl wasn’t on the ice as the team practised Thursday.

His absence comes after the 28-year-old forward appeared to be labouring late in Edmonton’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.

Draisaitl had two assists in the game but was limited to 16:43 seconds of ice time, well below the 20:41 he averaged per game in the regular season.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that Draisaitl was dealing with “cramping and equipment issues” that kept him off the ice.