Oilers suffer another injury in practice today

The Edmonton Oilers have been off to a fantastic start this season, sitting at 5-0-1 and standing as the only team in the NHL without a regulation loss. But the hockey gods seem intent on testing this group's depth, and Thursday morning brought yet another unwelcome development during the team's skate ahead of their matchup with the Utah Mammoth.

Forward Jason Dickinson was spotted leaving the ice partway through the morning session, visibly uncomfortable and raising immediate red flags for a team already dealing with a lengthy injury list. His status for Thursday night's game is uncertain, and depending on how things shake out, the concern could stretch beyond just one contest.

Dickinson's Ongoing Battle With Injury

This is not a new story for Dickinson. The forward initially got hurt during last season's playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, where he gutted it out but was clearly playing through pain. He spent the summer attempting to rehab the issue, but it never fully resolved. When training camp rolled around, there were setbacks that delayed his return to the lineup.

Head coach Mike Babcock acknowledged as much at the time, noting that Dickinson had tweaked the same injury from the postseason and that while progress had been encouraging, there were still tough days in the recovery process. Dickinson eventually made it back and suited up for three regular season games, putting up an assist along with some solid physical play. But Thursday's early exit from practice, reportedly tied to ankle discomfort, has everyone wondering if he has aggravated the issue once again.

According to Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton, the situation could go either way. It might be a minor tweak that resolves itself before puck drop, or it could be something more significant. Dickinson will be evaluated by the team's medical staff in the hours leading up to the game. Babcock has spoken highly of what Dickinson brings to the roster, calling him a smart and versatile player who changes the team's complexion when he's in the lineup.

The Bigger Picture in Edmonton

Dickinson's potential absence is just one piece of a much larger injury puzzle for the Oilers right now. Zach Hyman was expected to rejoin the group a couple of games ago but remains sidelined. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was on the ice Thursday but is not yet cleared for game action. Matt Savoie is still weeks away from a return. On the back end, the team is missing Jake Walman and Alec Regula. They are also without forward Mattias Janmark and goaltender Frederik Andersen.

That is a significant chunk of the roster, and it puts an enormous amount of pressure on the guys who are healthy. As The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn recently pointed out, the gap between Edmonton's top trio of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard and the rest of the roster has never looked wider. The hope coming into this season under Babcock was that the Oilers would develop a deeper identity and not lean so heavily on their star power. Injuries like this one make that goal a whole lot harder to achieve.

Edmonton has managed to stay afloat so far, and credit to them for that. But the longer this injury list grows, the harder it becomes to keep up the pace. The Oilers will be hoping to get some bodies back soon, because even the best teams in the league can only paper over roster holes for so long.