Oilers Quick Hits: McDavid, Draisaitl, Skinner, Nugen-Hopkins

In an Edmonton Oilers quick hits news update, general manager Stan Bowman provided an update on the injury status of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. This comes after a big game by the Oilers, who beat the Seattle Kraken without their two top stars, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a hat trick. Finally, Jeff Skinner is playing his best hockey of the year. Has he finally earned a top-six role on the team and the coach’s trust?

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McDavid and Draisaitl Injuries Not Serious

Stan Bowman was the guest on After Hours for Hockey Night in Canada and revealed that neither injury to McDavid nor Draisaitl is serious. From the information the team has, neither will miss much time. Draisaitl should be back before McDavid, but the captain won’t be far behind, and both should be back to play games in the regular season.

Bowman was also asked about a contract extension for McDavid and noted that they aren’t really talking about it during the season. He understands the urgency from fans to get a deal done as soon as possible, and he seemed confident that wouldn’t be a problem.

Nugent-Hopkins Steps Up in a Big Way

Over the last three games, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has nine points. He has stepped up without McDavid or Draisaitl in the lineup and scored a hat trick against the Kraken. Nugent-Hopkins became the 11th player in Oilers history to score a hat trick with an even-strength, power-play, and shorthanded goal.

He couldn’t have picked a better time to start finding the production he’s had in previous seasons. He’s got 20 goals on the season and 48 points in 69 games. He’s unlikely to reach the same production level from last season or his 104-point campaign, but if he can keep producing as the season winds down and into the playoffs, it’s a huge addition for Edmonton.

Jeff Skinner Should Never Come Out of the Lineup Again

There was a time when it was realistic Jeff Skinner might not get to see playoff games, even though he signed with the Oilers as a free agent to see postseason action. Skinner was often made a healthy scratch, and it seemed clear that the coaching staff wasn’t getting behind him, even when he played well. He’s played so well of late that it will be hard for the coach to sit him now.

The line of Jeff Skinner, Mattias Janmark, and Connor Brown created many looks against Seattle, and Skinner now has 14 goals on the season despite only playing in 60 games.

Skinner has remained a true professional throughout this process and changed his style a bit to match what was needed. He’s absolutely earned the right to be part of the Oilers’ scoring core, and further scratches should be deemed total asset mismanagement.

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