You may have heard the Edmonton Oilers are dealing with some injuries right now.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are out. Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard had injury scares on Wednesday. Stuart Skinner left that same game with a head injury and won't travel with the team to Seattle on Thursday, so the Oilers called up Olivier Rodrigue from the AHL. To make room for the young netminder, veteran forward Derek Ryan is heading back to Bakersfield.
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Ryan's second stint with the big club was a short one. Waived in January to accommodate rookie Noah Philp, Ryan was recalled on March 18th to provide extra forward depth after the trade deadline.
He played two games with the team after his recall, filling his usual role on the fourth line with McDavid and Draisaitl out. The 38-year-old center has played a total of 35 games with the Oilers this season and picked up one goal and five points.
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Since he cleared waivers back in January, he's eligible to be loaned back to Bakersfield without needing to pass through them again. He's scored three goals and eight points in 13 games with the Condors this season.
Ryan will almost certainly be back up once everyone is healthy, or at least for the playoffs. Though he's unlikely to make much of an impact on the ice, he's well-loved in the locker room and brings plenty of experience and heart to the team.
The Oilers, with Rodrigue in tow, face off against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
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