Edmonton Oilers
Oilers Reinforcements Returning at Just the Right Time
The Edmonton Oilers are getting three key pieces back from injury and into their lineup Saturday night against Utah.
The Edmonton Oilers will get three key pieces of their lineup back on Saturday as Zach Hyman, Jake Walman, and Colton Dach are cleared to play after injuries. The timing couldn’t be better, given the Oilers lost their first game in regulation on Thursday and want to stop any negative momentum as quickly as possible.
Edmonton is still missing Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Savoie, Jason Dickinson, Alec Regula, Mattias Janmark, and Frederik Andersen, but they’ve been missing all of those players through the early part of the season. Hyman, Walman, and Dach were all contributing before going down (Hyman only played the first game of the season). Having them back is a huge boost and it allows the Oilers to do a better job of slotting players where they should be, not asking bottom-six guys to play top-six roles.
Dach is set to center the second line alongside Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen. Walman will skate on the third pairing with Ty Emberson. “Being out of the lineup’s not fun, it’s not fun watching and not fun being hurt. We’ve had a lot of guys that are itching to get back in. It’s exciting… It will bring a different dynamic to the team,” said Walman. He credited the guys who remained in the lineup for stepping up while others have been out.
Dickinson remains out after another injury in practice this week. Babcock said it wasn’t an ankle issue, despite the fact that it appeared to be one. His status is unknown, but he won’t be on the ice Saturday evening.
As for the timing on Nugent-Hopkins and Savoie, Nugent-Hopkins is much closer to returning. He could be in as early as next week.
The Oilers enter tonight after their first 4-0 road start in franchise history. The team is hoping to get another win, and avoid a two-game losing streak. They haven’t faced that yet this season. Shakir Mukhamadullin will play seventh defenceman, and Josh Samanski and Max Jones will be the extra forwards. All three will sit.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry will start his third game of the season. He is 1-1 on the season.
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