Edmonton Oilers

Oilers vs. Rangers: Nurse Back, Bouchard a Game-Time Decision

Evan Bouchard is a game-time decision as the Edmonton Oilers face the New York Rangers on Saturday night and need a win.

by
Jim Parsons
November 23, 2024

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is a game-time decision for tonight’s matchup against the New York Rangers, as confirmed by head coach Kris Knoblauch. Bouchard’s absence from the morning skate has fueled speculation about potential changes to the Oilers’ blue line. This might be injury-related, illness-related, or something else. That wasn’t made entirely clear.

Meanwhile, Darnell Nurse will return to the lineup, providing some stability amidst the uncertainty. Ryan Rishaug of TSN tweeted, “Sounds like Nurse likely to go tonight but Bouchard 50-50 according to Knoblauch.”

Bouchard’s 2024-25 season has been a rollercoaster. Following a breakout campaign last year, the 24-year-old has showcased moments of brilliance but has also been plagued by costly defensive lapses and offensive miscues. The struggles have not gone unnoticed, with Oilers assistant coach Paul Coffey reportedly frustrated by Bouchard’s inability to get his shots through traffic—a problem that even Bouchard himself acknowledged.

“I said, what’s going on with the shin pad assassin? You can’t seem to get a shot through,” Sportsnet’s Louie DeBrusk shared, recounting a conversation with Bouchard. “He looks at me and he goes, if I hit another shin pad, I think [Coffey] is gonna kill me.”

Bouchard missing in action likely doesn’t have anything to do with Coffey getting his hands on the blueliner and the hope is that this isn’t anything serious. The fact that Bouchard might be able to play is a positive sign that whatever is going on is minor.

Other Oilers Injury News

With forwards Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson still out, Edmonton will need their defense to step up. Whether Bouchard is in the lineup or not, tonight’s game offers a critical opportunity for the Oilers to find consistency after an ugly loss to the Minnesota Wild where the Oilers might have put up one of their worst performances of the season.

Stuart Skinner gets the start versus the Rangers. He’s been struggling of late and needs a turnaround game after letting in five goals versus the Wild. Meanwhile, Igor Shesterkin looked to be the starter, but took a high shot in practice and left the ice. Jonathan Quick might be going now for the Rangers.

Next: Oilers Monitoring Jiricek as Replacement for Recently Lost D-Man