The Edmonton Oilers (10-8-2) will host the Minnesota Wild (12-3-3) on Thursday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. This is the first of three meetings between the two Western Conference teams, with the next two scheduled for December 12 and January 15. The Oilers are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, while the Wild secured a win in their last game against the St. Louis Blues.
Minnesota has a record of 7-2-1 in their last ten games, continuing their strong start to the season. Kirill Kaprizov is leading the team with an impressive 33 points in 18 games this season, making him the key player to watch for the Oilers. Obviously, the Wild will need to focus on containing Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to limit their offensive opportunities. Draisaitl has 27 points, leading the Oilers, while McDavid follows in second with 24 points, including 11 points in his last five games.
Kasperi Kapanen is set to make his Edmonton Oilers debut on the second line against the Minnesota Wild. “It’s been a hectic couple of days, but I’m happy to be here and to get a game right away,” Kapanen said earlier today, noting he is excited about the opportunity.
The forward was on the second line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner at morning skate today. With Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson both out due to not participating in the pre-game skate, Kapanen will bring an element of speed to the top six and be part of Edmonton’s top penalty-kill unit.
“I think I’ve got decent size, and I think my skating is probably the best attribute I have,” he said. “So just try to use those as much as I can and just bring energy.”
“Just play 100% every game. Like I said earlier, just kind of use my speed and my size and just try to be some sort of factor out there and help this team win. This team is obviously a great hockey team, so I’m just trying to help in any way I can.”
Kapanen’s thoughts ahead of his Oilers debut
Kapanen’s addition to the lineup allows the Oilers to return to having 12 forwards and six defensemen, following the recall of Drake Caggiula from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to fill the gaps left by Hyman and Arvidsson. Also in these moves, Josh Brown has been loaned back to the AHL Bakersfield Condors.
Zach Hyman is expected to miss four to seven days due to a hit he received in the second period against the Senators. Also, Arvidsson’s return is taking longer than anticipated, leading to increased opportunities for AHL players early in the season and testing the Oilers’ depth.
“We’re not expecting him back on Saturday and it’s taking a little bit longer than we thought,” Coach Knoblauch said. “It’s one of those things. If it were playoffs, he’d be playing, but where we are in the season, it’s better to recover and for him to be able to come back 100 percent. So we are still day to day.”
Head Coach Kris Knoblauch on Ardvisson’s injury status
Edmonton Oilers Lines:
Podkolzin – McDavid – Draisaitl
Skinner – RNH – Kapanen
Janmark – Henrique – Brown
Caggiula – Ryan – Perry
Ekholm – Bouchard
Kulak – Stecher
Dermott – Emberson
Skinner
Pickard
Minnesota Wild Lines:
Kaprizov – Eriksson Ek – Boldy
Johansson – Rossi – Hartman
Foligno – Gaudreau – Trenin
Lauko – Khusnutdinov – Shore
Middleton – Faber
Brodin – Spurgeon
Chisholm – Bogosian
Fleury
Gustavsson
Where to Watch/Listen:
SNW
TVAS
FDSNNOX
FDSNWI
630 CHED
KFAN FM 100.3
ITR 40: Headed For A Repeat? – Inside The Rink
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I hope all new players step up for a victory.