Oilers Update Victor Arvidsson's Injury Status, Reveal New Lineup at Practice
The Edmonton Oilers will begin a three game road trip tonight with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Victor Arvidsson won't be returning to the lineup.
Arvidsson missed the last Oilers game with an undisclosed injury, and Coach Knoblauch ran with 11 forward and 7 defenceman in his absence. With Arvidsson still out of the lineup, Oilers will once again play down a forward, otherwise with their regular lines.
It's a bit strange to see Travis Dermott remain in the lineup in the top four position after Dermott was severely benched last game, but perhaps that's from the coaching staff giving him a chance to play against his former team. Dermott is listed as Nurse's partner, but it will likely be Brett Kulak jumping up for the most important moments of the game.
In net, Stuart Skinner will get the starting nod and is looking for his third straight win. Through 11 games this season his save percentage is still at a very low .881, so the Oilers are still looking to see more from him. As long as he's getting wins though, the save percentage doesn't matter as much.
Jeff Skinner remains in the coach's doghouse to begin the season, skating on the fourth line for the third straight game. Skinner's ice time has dipped below 11 minutes in the last two games despite the fact that he's still creating scoring chances. The coach may not be happy with him for some reason, but Skinner's talent is being wasted on the fourth line.
Taking on the Leafs in Toronto, the hometown of many Oilers, the team will be fired up to get a victory from the NHL's least liked team. After the historic night of McDavid's 1000th point, hopefully the Oilers can take some momentum and rattle off a long win streak.
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