Six days remain until the Oilers take to the ice in their first regular season action and already the team is being forced to shuffle the lines due to injuries. Ryan Nugent Hopkins was a little banged up from the game against the Coyotes and Joel Persson will miss the next 7-10 days with a shoulder injury as well.
Both are minor issues but it helps reinforce the fact that the Oilers are only a couple of injuries away from disaster. In the meantime, a couple of players are going to be given a great opportunity to entrench themselves higher up in the lines.
Ethan Bear has done what Caleb Jones did last season, he has had a strong camp and impressed his coach enough that he has not been sent down. Jones ended up being sent down but was recalled later in the year but with the injury to Persson and plan for Bouchard, Bear looks poised to start the season in the top 4.
LINEUPS
OILERS
Jurco-McDavid-Neal Nygard-Draisaitl-Burdasov P. Russell-Haas-Kassian Khaira-Cave-Archibald (Bit of a guess on bottom two lines. Those six are playing unsure of combos).
Klefbom-Bear K.Russell-Benning Lagesson-Manning
Smith
- Jurco has been another player who has done well with the opportunity given. Tonight he will play with the best linemates he has yet with Connor McDavid as his centre. - With RNH not playing tonight, Draisaitl will centre his own line with two unproven players with high end potential. Nygard showed well in his last game with his speed on full display and while he didn't appear on the scoresheet, Burdasov's shot also was at NHL level. The time for either to secure a high spot in the lineup is running out.
JETS *Official lineup for Jets has not been released yet Luoto-Scheifele-Roslovic Ehlers-Gustafsson-Perrault Vesalainen-Copp-Appleton Borque-Letestu-Suess
Kulikov-Pionk Beaulieu-Poolman Bitetto-Heinola
Brossoit
OILERS PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - ETHAN BEAR Bear has played well enough to warrant a spot in the top 6 defense but tonight he will need to show he can play more minutes and against higher competition. Persson could return as early as the second regular season game and Bear will have to impress to not immediately slide down upon his return.
JETS PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - DAVID GUSTAFSSON Though he hasn't yet appeared on the scoresheet, the Jets coaching staff is impressed with the young 19 year old centre and have rewarded him tonight by playing him with with two top 6 NHL wingers. It's a rare opportunity and it will be interesting to watch how he handles it.
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3 KEYS TO VICTORY
More From The Top - Last game against the Coyotes a rare thing happened. The bottom 6 forwards performed exactly as the coach wanted them to while the top lines did not. It will be very rare that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are kept off the scoresheet. Having a bottom 6 that can pick up the slack would be head and shoulders better than last season.
Last Chance For Haas - Nygard's performance thus far has likely warranted him a position in the top 9. Gaetan Haas has yet to really stand out and if he slacks tonight, the next step should be to send him down and risk losing him on waivers.
Speaking Of Last Chances... - The same goes for Anton Burdasov who did not have the same opportunity as players like Haas as he has been here for a much shorter amount of time. It won't be enough for Burdasov to make a good hit or have a couple of shots on net... he needs to appear on the scoresheet. That might not be fair but it is the reality he faces.
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FILM OF THE DAY
Dewey Finn was just a washed up guitarist until he receives an opportunity to be a substitute teacher and teach a group of young students how to be amazing rock and roll band members. Players like Ethan Bear, Burdasov, and Jurco need to find a way to make the most out of their opportunities and win their own metaphorical Battle of The Bands. School of Rock, everyone.