** Update: McDavid has confirmed he will be in the lineup Monday night for the Oilers as they face the San Jose Sharks.
As per Bob Stauffer and other media members who attended the Edmonton Oilers practice on Monday, Connor McDavid was on the ice and taking part in a full skate with the team. He was also put in a trio with some interesting linemates as Evander Kane was not on the ice. McDavid noted to the media that his status was day-to-day. The Oilers definitely missed him, especially on the power play.
As per Stauffer, McDavid was paired with Adam Henrique and Zach Hyman. On line two, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was with Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele, while line three consisted of Dylan Holloway, Ryan McLeod-and Corey Perry. The fourth line was Mattias Janmark with Sam Carrick and Connor Brown. It’s an interesting first line and suggests head coach Kris Knoblauch likes the way Henrique has been playing of late and wants to give him some top-unit minutes with Kane out. Knoblauch describes it as maintenance, similar to McDavid’s situation. Tony Brar writes, “If it was Game 1 of the playoffs, Kane would be in. Extra time to heal to ensure he’s 100%.”
The defense pairings stayed the same. Mattias Ekholm was with Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci was a pair and Brett Kulak was with Vincent Desharnais.
McDavid at Practice Means He’s Likely to Play vs. The Sharks
Expect McDavid to play tonight notes Jason Gregor. He adds, “I’d be surprised if he plays all three games this week, but if they have a chance at first place on Thursday you never know.” The Oilers have picked up only a single point in the last two games since McDavid went down. They did manage a win against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first game McDavid missed. The Canucks have come close to clinching first in the Pacific Division, but a couple of losses by the Canucks and some wins by the Oilers with a game in hand could mean first.
If McDavid is able to go, he’s on the cusp of hitting 100 assists on the season. That would put him in elite NHL company.
Next: Oilers to Recall Philip Broberg for Remaining Games of Regular Season
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