Canucks and Oilers dressing loaded lineups tonight
The preseason game between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers tonight will feature a lot of familiar faces.
Both teams seem set to ice rosters that look similar to those expected on opening night.
The Oilers are expected to dress several big names, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard. The team’s lines at morning skate were as follows, per OilersTV’s Tony Brar.
EDM lines at Morning Skate:
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Skinner – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Janmark – Henrique – Brown
Podkolzin – Philp – Perry
Caggiula – LavoieEkholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Emberson
Kulak – Stecher
Dermott – Brown#Oilers— Tony Brar đ (@TonyBrarOTV) October 4, 2024
“They got their full lineup,” said Canucks coach Rick Tocchet. “Itâs an exhibition game, but, it’s still a game that you want to play hard in. They knocked us out.”
“I give them a lot of respect for what they went through at the beginning of the year and then to be one goal from winning the Stanley Cup. So, they are our rivals. We’re striving to beat them. That’s what you look for, whether it’s exhibition or regular season, that is what you try to do.”
The Canucks are also not holding anything back with their lineup. J.T. Miller will suit up for his first preseason game, and all of the team’s big names are playing. The lines at morning skate were as follows per Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor.
Friday morning skate #Canucks lines
Heinen. Miller. Boeser.
DeBrusk. Pettersson. Sprong.
Höglander. RÀty. Garland.
Bains. Blueger. Sherwood.
Ă man.Hughes. Hronek.
Soucy. Myers.
Forbort. Desharnais.
Friedman. Juulsen.@Sportsnet650 pic.twitter.com/fLoVSJEOME— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) October 4, 2024
Tocchet also confirmed Arturs Silovs will play the whole game.
The two teams are becoming bitter rivals after an intense playoff series last year that the Oilers won in seven games. The first regular-season game between the two teams this year is on November 9.
The Canucks and Oilers are expected to battle for the Pacific Division title again this year, a feat that the Canucks managed to accomplish last season. With the way that the NHL’s postseason is structured, it’s likely the two teams could meet in the playoffs once again.