Edmonton Oilers will see Mattias Ekholm return to the lineup. Expected to be paired with Evan Bouchard. There are many former Edmonton Oilers defensemen still playing in the NHL. Caleb Jones was a promising young defender but was traded for the veteran presence of Duncan Keith. Jones remained with the Chicago Blackhawks until this past off season - when he signed a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. Just at the beginning of last week he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche who will play in the AHL. Jeff Petry was also traded, but just earlier in the off season. He was part of the three-way trade that landed the Pittsburgh Penguins Erik Karlsson. That deal saw him end up with the Montreal Canadiens. After a brief stint there, he was traded again to the Detroit Red Wings. Earlier today it was revealed that Petry would be a healthy scratch for tonight's game. I struggle to understand the thought process here. They trade for him in the off season - after already signing numerous free agent defensemen who can play NHL minutes - and then make him a healthy scratch for their third game of the season? Seems bizarre to me. Related: Oilers Make Impressive Hockey Hire Related: Towering Oilers Defender Put on Waivers Related: NHL Proves They Aren't Actually Inclusive Related: Sam Lafferty Could Have Been an Oiler [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7rJlnpDw_k[/embed]
