Injuries Becoming a Factor for Oilers in Stanley Cup Final

The Edmonton Oilers may have to face the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final without one of their key offensive contributors. Forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is officially a game-time decision for Monday’s matchup, according to head coach Kris Knoblauch, due to an upper-body injury.

The coach thinks Nugent-Hopkins will be good to go, but given that Edmonton is already without Zach Hyman, it’s fair to ask if injuries are starting to become a concern.

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Hyman’s injury wasn’t from the Florida series, so his absence is not related to how the Panthers play. But, whatever might be bugging Nugent-Hopkins is a concern. That likely came during one of the first two games and Nugent-Hopkins being absent from Sunday’s practice is a potential issue.

Even if he is a go, it might be telling that some of the players on the Oilers are starting to enter games at less than 100 percent. Jeff Skinner was skating alongside Connor McDavid and Corey Perry—presumably as a placeholder—while Nugent-Hopkins continues to recover. If Skinner is a go, he’ll be effective, but even a deep team like the Oilers will start to run short of solid replacement options.

The Oilers are coming off a heartbreaking 5-4 double-overtime loss in Game 2 that tied the series 1-1. Every long game and every hit takes a toll. The Oilers are also a physical team, but they aren’t necessarily built to play that way over a seven-game series. Hyman was their leading hitter, so others are forced to step up and play a role that might be a bit out of their comfort zone.

It might be time for players like Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, Vasily Podkolzin, Darnell Nurse, Jake Walman, and others (who like to play physical) really set a tone and shift the narrative. Otherwise, how many more games can the Oilers withstand the physicality before more than just Nugent-Hopkins becomes a question mark?

All eyes will be on pre-game warmups Monday night, with many waiting to see if Nugent-Hopkins will take the ice and look up to speed. You can bet the Panthers will be watching too, ready to target him if he plays.

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