Darnell Nurse, Stuart Skinner, and John Klingberg were all missing from Oilers practice this morning.

The Oilers' lineup remains in flux as they prepare for tonight's matchup with the Seattle Kraken.

Stuart Skinner, Darnell Nurse, and John Klingberg were all missing from Oilers practice this morning, throwing a few wrenches into Kris Knoblauch's plans for tonight. 

Skinner's absence is a joyous one: his wife Chloe is expecting the couple's second baby today, and the two have been at the hospital since last night. Calvin Pickard will start tonight in Skinner's stead, though we don't yet know if Skinner will be able to rejoin the team. If not, the Oilers may have to call on an emergency backup.

Trending Oilers Stories

Important Defender's Bounce-Back Season Changes Oilers' Plans

Underrated Oilers Pickup Pays Off In Big Way

Former Oiler Sam Gagner Finds New Team

New Oilers Defenders Nearing Return

Nurse, meanwhile, missed practice with a minor illness but should draw into the lineup tonight. If he doesn't, we could see waiver pickup Alec Regula make his Oilers debut. Regula skated next to Troy Stecher this morning.

Finally, it seems another Oiler debut has been pushed back. John Klingberg was also missing from practice due to an immigration issue and might not make his season debut until next week. Head coach Kris Knoblauch had previously indicated that Klingberg would make his debut this week, likely on Thursday against Detroit.

There's intrigue among the players who were at practice, as well. It appears that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be reunited on the top line in McDavid's return from suspension, while Adam Henrique moves up to take Draisaitl's spot on the second line. 

That leaves Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to play with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown, a line that found success during McDavid's absence.

Jeff Skinner will be a healthy scratch yet again as he struggles to find a fit in the Oilers' lineup. It's a particularly surprising decision after Skinner scored the Oilers' first goal against his former team in their 3-2 win over Buffalo on Saturday.

[gallery ids="210,129,211,194"]

The Oilers look for their eighth consecutive win over the Seattle Kraken tonight in their second meeting of the season. They beat the Kraken 4-2 on the road on January 5th.

Tonight's game gets underway at 7:30 MT at Rogers Place.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.