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Connor McDavid out 'long term' after suffering upper body injury (Video)

Josh Cooper

Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan said rookie phenom Connor McDavid will be out "long term" after McDavid slammed into the boards in a Tuesday night game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The play occurred late in the second period.

The video is above, where McDavid tried to split Philly defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Manning. McDavid got up and skated to the bench under his own power, but appeared to be clutching his left shoulder a bit. McDavid left the game after the play.

Per Sportsnet:

“He’s disappointed,” said McLellan, who spoke only briefly with McDavid after Tuesday’s game. “It’s his rookie year, things are going pretty well, and he wants to be part of the group. He still will be, but he won’t be in the uniform for a while.”

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According to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, McDavid was seen with his shoulder in a sling after the second period.

Seeing McDavid hurt is a scary situation for the Oilers and their fans. So far the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft as lived up to the hype with five goals and seven assists in 12 games prior to the injury.

Said Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins via the Edmonton Journal:

“You feel bad for Connor. It has been a long process getting to this point, then for something like that to happen was an unfortunate play, obviously. You don’t want to see anybody go in (to the boards) like that with a couple of guys riding him. It was definitely tough to see. He’s already become a big part of our team. It’s a loss in that sense but we all just want him to know he has our support.”

The nature of the injury is still a mystery, though there were reports that it involved the young forward's collarbone. 

According to the Journal, Edmonton winger Taylor Hall said McDavid was "becoming a leader" for the Oilers.

Said Hall, “You never want to see a guy out of the lineup, especially one just starting his career."

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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