Edmonton Oilers Adjust Lineups at Practice with Top Six Forward Absent
The Oilers took the ice for practice today after their win over the New York Islanders with a few tweaks to their lineup, and missing forward Viktor Arvidsson.
On the lineup end, Calvin Pickard will be the Oilers starter for their next game against the Nashville Predators, and Travis Dermott will come into the lineup in place of Troy Stecher.
No player skated in place of Victor Arvidsson, which may be a good sign. If the Oilers expected Arvidsson to be out for any amount of time with an injury, they likely would've elevated another forward to the second line for practice.
According to Kris Knoblauch after practice, Arvidsson only took a maintenance day today, but may not play tomorrow's game against Nashville. The Oilers could call up a forward from the AHL, or start 7 defenceman.
Interestingly, Coach Knoblauch seems to be continuing his demotion for Jeff Skinner. The 32 year old veteran of over 1000 NHL games hasn't clicked yet in Edmonton, and Knoblauch doesn't seem to have too much patience for Skinner figuring it out in the top six. There's rumours circulating that Skinner could be traded by the Oilers if he doesn't fit with the team this year.
It also seems like the Edmonton Oilers may be willing to turn to goaltender Calvin Pickard for more starting opportunities this season. Stuart Skinner has heavily struggled to begin this year, leading to some speculation that the Oilers could make a move to acquire another goalie.
The next Oilers game against the Nashville Predators at home will have a chance to be a historical event for all of hockey. Connor McDavid sits at 999 career points, and he'll surely want to get one tomorrow night at home, before heading on the road to Toronto. The home fans will be thrilled to see if McDavid can get it done tomorrow night.
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