Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel just can't seem to get on the ice at the same time.
The top two picks from the 2015 NHL Draft were scheduled to go head to head Sunday with Eichel's Buffalo Sabres in Edmonton to play McDavid's Oilers.
Eichel, however, sprained his ankle prior to the season opener, meaning he'll be forced to sit this one out, just as McDavid was last season while sidelined for several months with a broken collarbone.
Having suffered through the long-term injury as a rookie, McDavid can certainly empathize with Eichel's plight.
"It’s not fun. It’s really hard," McDavid said, per Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. "It’s harder mentally than physically. The injury heals.
"It’s about coming back and not missing a beat. That’s the main thing. It’s a credit to the doctors and the team around you but it’s also keeping yourself in shape. You’re looking at two months and it’s hard to stay focused."
After Sunday's game, Eichel and McDavid will have both played in only one of the three scheduled games between their respective NHL clubs, a 2-1 win for the Oilers in Buffalo on March 1 in which McDavid scored both goals.
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