Oilers coach Knoblauch speaks on Darnell Nurse injury status before game 3

Midway through the first period, Nurse took a hit from a forechecking Panthers player in the corner which seemed to tweak something in a bad way for Nurse. He left the game down the tunnel, destroyed his stick in the hallway, and came back to sit on the bench for the remainder of the game.

Nurse did end up taking a pair of shifts later in the game, but his final ice time was only 4:20. In a playoff game where every player is needed and other defenceman were probably gassed, this wasn't a benching - Nurse was too injured to play.

It's been a tough stretch of the playoffs for Darnell Nurse, the Oilers top paid defenceman at $9.25M. He's put up only 3 assists and has a brutal rating of -15. Thankfully, Knoblauch said after practice that Nurse will play, but surprisingly that Evander Kane may not.

The only other change at practice today was Knoblauch elevating Ryan McLeod to the second line alongside Draisaitl and Dylan Holloway. Warren Foegele was bumped down to the fourth line.

Evander Kane was also absent from practice today, but that's usual as Kane has been playing through multiple injuries this playoffs. He's expected to be in the lineup for game 3. Knoblauch hasn't spoken yet on Nurses' availability, but it doesn't seem like it will be good news for the Oilers.