Edmonton travels to San Jose in the second of a four-game road trip on Thursday night. The Sharks, already out of the playoff conversation, have nothing to lose. The Oilers, meanwhile, are in a tight race atop the Pacific Division. Every win without their top player is a confidence booster, and points in these road games mean increased odds of home-ice advantage.
The Oilers will be without star forward Connor McDavid, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and goaltender Stuart Skinner for the remainder of their four-game road trip. Head Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed following the team’s morning skate on Thursday, that none will play, the latter two not even joining the team on the road as the Oilers travel to Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and then Anaheim to face the Ducks on Monday.
Trent Frederic, however, is likely going to play in at least one of these road games.
Pickard Gets Another Start for the Oilers
Goaltender Calvin Pickard will continue to carry the load in Skinner’s absence, making his fourth consecutive start in net. The veteran backup netminder is aiming to reach the 20-win mark in a season for the first time in his NHL career. Pickard stopped 26 shots in the Oilers’ 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday and has been solid while stepping into the No. 1 role.
Knoblauch was asked about Skinner’s status, stating, “He’s doing well. He has not skated yet, but he’s doing well and will be picking up on workouts and be on the ice soon.”
Despite missing key players, the Oilers are riding a two-game winning streak and want to keep it going against an entertaining and loose Sharks squad. “Teams like that are just playing free and can be very dangerous,” Knoblauch cautioned.
Walman and Emberson Playing Against Their Old Team
A key storyline heading into Thursday’s game is the return of defensemen Jake Walman and Ty Emberson to San Jose. Both players were part of the Sharks organization before joining the Oilers and will now face their former team for the first time since the trades that brought them to Edmonton.
Walman praised the Sharks’ young core, but he’s happy for the opportunity to play in meaningful games. “They have a bright future, and you can see the talent coming through,” he said.
Projected Lineup vs. San Jose:
Forwards:
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Viktor Arvidsson
Zach Hyman – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Kasperi Kapanen
Jeff Skinner – Mattias Janmark – Connor Brown
Max Jones – Adam Henrique – Corey Perry
Defensemen:
Jake Walman – Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse – Troy Stecher
Brett Kulak – Ty Emberson
Goaltenders:
Calvin Pickard
Olivier Rodrigue
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