The Edmonton Oilers got a bit of an injury scare at practice on Saturday as goaltender Mike Smith left the ice in serious discomfort. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug captured a video of Smith leaving and heading down the tunnel towards the dressing room and from early glimpses, it did not look good.
You can see that video below:
Related: Oilers’ Holland Says He’s Open to Re-Signing Mike Smith
The good news, however, is that Smith is alright. According to head coach Dave Tippett: “he’s alright, he’s fine now. He’s been checked out.” Sportnset’s Gene Principe reports Tippett’s comments: “he just tweaked something. I went in and saw him and he’s fine but it scared him a little.”
Obviously, the Oilers will keep an eye on this situation and cross their fingers it’s not something that comes up again as the season winds down.
16-5-2 on the season, Smith is having the type of season that some contend should put him in the Vezina Trophy conversation. If the Oilers were to lose him, Mikko Koskinen would take the net, but Edmonton fans would be seriously concerned considering how strong Smith’s play has been this season. A 39-year-old veteran, no one saw this season coming, not even general manager Ken Holland who signed the netminder late in free agency and after exploring the goalie market first.
Smith has been so good, fans are calling for the Oilers to re-sign him for one more season, even though a few months ago, many of these same fans were calling the management heads to roll that the Oilers didn’t upgrade at the goaltending position.
Holland said of Smith’s status with the team and the possibility of extending him, “He’s a big influence on where we are in the season. I don’t look at age, I look at how you play. If he keeps going what he’s going, why wouldn’t we want to do it again? He’s playing at a high level.”
In Other Oilers Injury News
- Jujhar Khaira was back out on the ice skating but he’s got a ways to go before the medical staff will clear him to return to play.
- Unfortunately, not-so great news on Zack Kassian. He is out for a while with a lower body injury and listed as week to week.
- Joakim Nygard is day-to-day with a hand injury.
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