Oilers Starting Lineup Today: Leon Draisaitl Returns Against Flames
Leon Draisaitl. (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)Edmonton Oilers fans can breathe a little easier.
Leon Draisaitl returns to the lineup after his four-game injury absence on Saturday, just in time for the final Battle of Alberta of the season. While the Oilers are still far from fully healthy, getting the Hart candidate back in the lineup can only be a good thing.
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Connor McDavid and Stuart Skinner remain out day-to-day with their respective injuries, though both should be back within the week. Mattias Ekholm will miss his second consecutive game after taking a maintenance day on Thursday in Seattle. Ekholm missed six games earlier this month with a lower-body injury.
Calvin Pickard will start in net against the Calgary Flames after being replaced by rookie Olivier Rodrigue two periods into Thursday's loss to the Kraken. Pickard allowed five goals on 29 shots against Seattle, while Rodrigue saved seven of the eight shots he faced in relief in his NHL debut.
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Draisaitl's return and Ekholm's absence necessitate some changes to the Oilers' lineup, as Jake Walman moves to the top pair with Evan Bouchard, and Draisaitl will play with his familiar linemates, Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson.
That leaves Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to play with Jeff Skinner and Zach Hyman as Edmonton's three hottest forwards unite to try and replace Connor McDavid's production.
They'll face a Flames team fighting for their playoff lives. Calgary is one of the many teams that's been overtaken by the St. Louis Blues' blistering hot streak, and they now sit six points behind the Blues with three games in hand. With their playoff odds at just 20%, the Flames need all the wins they can get from here on out.
The Oilers, meanwhile, are fighting for home-ice advantage in their likely first-round rematch with the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are two points up on the Oilers with a game in hand and have won eight of their last ten games.
Draisaitl and the Oilers face off against the Flames at Rogers Place at 8:00, on Hockey Night In Canada.
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