McDavid returns: Oilers shake up lines against Sharks
Connor McDavid will return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup for the team’s last home game of the regular season against the San Jose Sharks tonight.
The Oilers captain took to the ice for this morning’s skate after missing the last three games with an unspecified lower-body injury. The reigning NHL MVP skated on a line with Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman.
“Everything has been feeling good and I’ll play tonight,” McDavid told the media this morning. “[I had] something bugging me and I needed to get it right.”
McDavid returns to the #Oilers lineup tonight against the Sharks and will skate on a line with Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman.
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) April 15, 2024
Though McDavid will give the team a boost, it was confirmed by head coach Kris Knoblauch that Evander Kane will draw out of the lineup with a nagging issue. Similar to McDavid’s injury, it does not appear that Kane’s injury is all that serious.
McDavid is sitting with 99 assists on the season and could make history by reaching the century mark tonight. The potential accomplishment has garnered much attention from fans and the media, but the Oilers captain doesn’t appear too focused on reaching the plateau.
“Another, I guess, nice number. Nice round number, everybody likes that,” McDavid said. “It’d be nice.”
This has prompted a few new changes to the forward lines. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will drop down to the second line to play alongside Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele. The third line of Dylan Holloway, Ryan McLeod, and Corey Perry will remain intact while Sam Carrick looks like he will stay in on a line with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown.
Derek Ryan is the extra forward.
More #Oilers lineup notes from this morning:
– Evander Kane will be OUT tonight with a minor injury
– Stuart Skinner is the expected starter
– RNH drops down to the second line with Draisaitl and Foegele
– D pairings remain the same as last game vs. VAN— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) April 15, 2024
On the blueline, Edmonton’s defensive pairings remain the same as last game with Troy Stecher being the odd-man out. Stuart Skinner was in the starter’s net this morning and is expected to make his second-straight start for the Oilers. He has a 4-1-0 career record against the Sharks in five games.
It won’t be the most exciting game that fans have watched this season. The Oilers are practically locked into the second spot in the Pacific Division and will most likely face either the LA Kings or the Vegas Golden Knights in round one when the playoffs begin later this week.
Gametime is set for 7:30 pm MT.
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