Oilers’ Connor McDavid in lineup for must-win Game 5

Connor McDavid is going to play through the pain to try to extend the Edmonton Oilers season.

The Oilers captain is in the lineup for Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks after being listed as a game-time decision earlier in the day. He did not take the morning skate.

The Oilers trail the Ducks 3-1 in the first-round series and would be eliminated with a loss on Tuesday night.

McDavid was hobbled on a collision with teammate Mattias Ekholm in Game 2 and hasn’t been his same explosive self ever since.

Third-line centre Jason Dickinson is also in the lineup after being listed as a game-time decision. Dickinson has missed two games in the series with a lower-body injury.

Through the first four games of the series, McDavid has recorded one goal and three assists.

But he has not appeared to be functioning at 100 per cent since he appeared to suffer a lower-body injury in the second period of Game 2.

McDavid got tangled with teammate Mattias Ekholm and briefly went to the Oilers’ locker room, but returned to the bench and was able to finish the game.

When asked about it post-game, McDavid said, “I just rolled up on it a little bit. It’s fine.”

The Oilers superstar didn’t record his first point of the series until Game 3, which was unusual for a player who has 154 points in 100 career playoff games.

Meanwhile, Dickinson has been in and out of the lineup this series due to a lingering injury. After scoring two goals in Game 1, the Oilers forward missed Games 2 and 3 before returning to the lineup for Game 4.

The Oilers are also expected to continue their shuffle in the crease, as Connor Ingram is expected to get the start in net for Game 5.

Ingram started the first three games of the series before Tristan Jarry got the call in Game 4. Ingram has a 4.70 goals-against average and a .849 save percentage over his three playoff starts against the Ducks.

McDavid named finalist for Ted Lindsay Award

Earlier Tuesday, McDavid, Macklin Celebrini and Nikita Kucherov were named as finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, the league announced.

The Ted Lindsay Award is given annually to the most outstanding player as voted on by fellow members of the NHLPA.

McDavid is a four-time recipient of the award; Kuchkerov has won it twice; Celebrini will be looking to bring home his first.

For the sixth time in his career, McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy this season as the player who led the league in points at the end of the regular season.

His 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) in 2025-26 with the Edmonton Oilers are the second most of his career, trailing only the 153 points he put up in the 2022-23 season.

For the 19-year-old Celebrini, it’s another honour in what has been a sensational sophomore campaign with the San Jose Sharks.

Celebrini recorded 45 goals and 70 assists and broke the Sharks franchise record for points in a season, which was previously held by Joe Thornton.

Meanwhile, Kucherov finished second in the league in points with 130 (44 goals and 86 assists), trailing only McDavid.

The Tampa Bay Lightning superstar also recorded the 1,000th point of his career in October and became the fastest Russian-born player to reach the feat.