Oilers tinker lines as McDavid ruled out for second straight game

The Edmonton Oilers appear to be making some tweaks to their lineup tonight as they prepare to take on the Arizona Coyotes.

Connor McDavid has officially been ruled out for the second straight game, as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury. The Oilers captain told reporters this morning that he could be back as soon as tomorrow.

“I won’t go tonight. We will see about tomorrow,” McDavid said. “We are going day-by-day.”

As a result, the top line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman is expected to remain in place. The second line will remain intact as well with Evander Kane, Adam Henrique, and Warren Foegele, while Ryan McLeod will continue centring the third line with Dylan Holloway and Corey Perry on his wings.

The one change up front will be on the fourth line, as Derek Ryan will draw back into the lineup and replace Sam Carrick, with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown on his wings. Carrick suffered an undisclosed injury, presumably in Wednesday’s game, and missed yesterday’s practice as a result.

There will also be a change on the back end, as Troy Stecher is expected to draw in after sitting the past five games as a healthy scratch. He will be paired with Darnell Nurse, meaning Cody Ceci will be out. He also missed practice yesterday, though nothing has been mentioned in terms of a potential injury.

With the Oilers in action again tomorrow night versus the Vancouver Canucks, Calvin Pickard will draw the start tonight. His last game came on April 6, where he kicked aside 33 of 35 shots in a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

With a win tonight, the Oilers will find themselves just two points shy of the Canucks for first place in the Pacific Division. As of now, they are slated to take on the LA Kings in the first round, while the Canucks are slated to go up against the Nashville Predators.

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