Oilers Reveal Plan to Fill Arvidsson’s Absence Against Predators

The Edmonton Oilers will face the Nashville Predators without forward Viktor Arvidsson, who is sidelined with a minor injury. Head coach Kris Knoblauch told the media on Thursday that the team will adopt a collaborative approach to fill the gap, rather than relying on one player to take over Arvidsson’s regular spot on the second line.

"I think we'll do it collectively. I think there's a lot of guys that can fill into that, Perry being one of them, but I think there will be some rotation."

Coach Knoblauch on the #Oilers filling in for Viktor Arvidsson's absence in the lineup.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/slux5asSI6

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 14, 2024

“We’ll do it collectively,” Knoblauch said. “I think there’s a lot of guys that can fill into that, [Corey] Perry being one of them, but I think there will be some rotation.” Knoblauch noted that while losing a player of Arvidsson’s skill is never ideal, he actually prefers moving guys around, double-shifting players, and finding the right mix within a game. His plan is to make adjustments as necessary with certain players getting more ice time on that second line when the situation calls for it.

Without Arvidsson in the lineup, the Oilers have shifted to an 11-forward, 7-defensemen formation.

During practice, the team ran with the following forward lines: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid, and Zach Hyman on the top line, followed by Vasily Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl anchoring the second unit without a designated right winger. The third line featured Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique, and Connor Brown, while Stuart Skinner, Derek Ryan, and Corey Perry formed the fourth.

Seeing as the Oilers will run with seven defensemen, the team lined up with Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Travis Dermott, Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson, with Troy Stecher available as the seventh defenseman. Goaltender Calvin Pickard will get the start.

Arvidsson Won’t Be Out Long-Term

Knoblauch expects Arvidsson to return to action over the weekend, so this isn’t something that the team will need to adjust for regularly. They also won’t call anyone up from the AHL unless there is a setback. For now, Edmonton will rely on the entire lineup stepping up.

This is a big game tonight as Connor McDavid is likely to reach the 1000-point marker in his NHL career. He’ll be the fourth-fastest player to do so.

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Next: 5 Fascinating Facts About Oilers’ Head Coach Kris Knoblauch