The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that the Edmonton Oilers might be getting closer to icing a full lineup. The latest news is that forward James Neal might be ready to return.
Matheson notes that Neal will likely join the Oilers on their current road trip that will see the team travel to Nashville, Dallas and Chicago. He could play in one of those games, even though that has not been confirmed at this point.
Neal will be a welcome addition back to the roster which might also see Kailer Yamamoto re-inserted onto the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. Captain Connor McDavid hasn’t completely clicked with new acquisitions Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis although the trio found some early success. Neal will give Edmonton options and certainly help their league-best power play.
Neal has been out since Jan. 29 with a sprained ankle and what was, at one time, deemed an injury that wasn’t all that serious has taken a lot longer to recover from than expected. He has 19 goals and 29 points in 50 games this season for the Oilers.
Neal won’t give Edmonton a full roster with Oscar Klefbom and Mike Green out, but it will bring them right near where they want to be for their forward group, less Joakim Nygard.
Leon the First Star of February
In other Oilers news, Draisaitl was voted player of the month for the month of February. Draisaitl led the League lead in scoring for February with 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 14 games as the Oilers posted a 7-5-2 record to maintain second place in the Pacific Division.
He notched point 100, 101 and 102 in the game against the Jets on Saturday.
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