Evan Bouchard Gets Injury Update From Coach Knoblauch at Oilers Practice
Star Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard sustained an injury in the final moments of last night's game against the Minnesota Wild, and today, Oilers coach Knoblauch listed him as a game time decision for tomorrow night.
Bouchard was injured by a questionable hit from Wild forward Ryan Hartman, knocking him into the net while the Oilers defender wasn't near the puck.
With Bouchard unavailable, young defenceman Ty Emberson has moved up to play alongside Mattias Ekholm on the first pair.
Judging by the fact Emberson was moved up and taking consistent reps with Ekholm, it may be a sign that they're preparing for Bouchard to be unavailable for tomorrow's game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Evan Bouchard Absent From Oilers Practice, Listed as Game Time Decision Tomorrow
Losing Evan Bouchard for any amount of time would be a significant blow to the Oilers, as he's the team's best defenceman and an elite piece of the powerplay.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli revealed that Bouchard seemed fine after last night's game, but was walking with a noticeable limp. Coach Knoblauch said that the team would know more about his condition by today.
After practice today, Knoblauch said that Bouchard's injury is nothing serious, and he could potentially play tomorrow. That's certainly positive news for the Oilers.
Some called for Hartman to be suspended for this hit, but former NHL referee Dave Jackson has commented on the matter, and believes it was only a missed interference call - not a suspension.
Bouchard is having a great season with 6 goals and 22 points in 29 games so far this year, where every other Oiler's scoring is down. President Jeff Jackson recently committed to signing Bouchard in a new interview.
Hopefully Bouchard is able to get back on the ice as soon as possible and make a quick return to the lineup.
More details and analysis to come.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 13 | 113 ANSWERS Evan Bouchard Gets Injury Update From Coach Knoblauch at Oilers Practice Do you think Evan Bouchard will be able to play tomorrow night's Oilers game against the Vegas Golden Knights? | ||
| Yes | 72 | 63.7 % |
| No | 35 | 31 % |
| See Results | 6 | 5.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
