PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Canadiens

EDMONTON, AB – Defenceman Vincent Desharnais will be rested in favour of rearguard Troy Stecher on Tuesday night when the Edmonton Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Place.

Desharnais was involved in a late second-period fight on Saturday evening with Colorado's Josh Manson, but after serving his five-minute major and returning to the Oilers bench, the 27-year-old didn't play another shift due to an apparent hand injury that will keep him out of the lineup tonight against the Canadiens.

"Troy will be in," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "We’re just going to rest Desi a little bit. A little nagging injury, but we thought it was best just to give him a little extra time."

The opportunity presents itself for Stecher to jump back into the lineup tonight and make his second Oilers appearance after he played 13:13 in last week's 7-2 victory over the Capitals – a debut that was necessitated when Mattias Ekholm was a late scratch with an illness.

"Really nice guy," Ekholm said of Stecher. "Obviously, I was down and out the game he played, so I didn't see too much of his game. But I've seen him in practice and he's been around a long time, so I think he comes just as advertised and he'll be an important piece for us moving forward."

Stecher played the left side of the third pair with Cody Ceci against Washington back on Mar. 13, but at Monday's full team practice, the deadline acquisition from Arizona took line rushes alongside Darnell Nurse on the right side of the second defensive pairing.

Coach Knoblauch believes that the 29-year-old from Richmond, BC is in a much better position this time around on his natural right side to showcase what he brings to the table.

"Mostly just getting him to play his natural side," Knoblauch said. "The first game he played the left side, which makes it a little more difficult. It's enough pressure as is playing your first game in Edmonton and wanting to make an impression, and then, you're making it more difficult for him already by making him play his off side and he has a lot of experience doing that.

"But obviously, we feel he's a better player on his natural side – his right side – and this is more of an opportunity for him to just play his game."

Goaltender Calvin Pickard is slated to get the start in between the pipes for Edmonton on Tuesday in favour of Skinner, who stopped 40-of-43 shots in Saturday's 3-2 overtime defeat to Colorado.

Pickard had to settle for a 4-0 team shutout in his last start against the Penguins on Mar. 10 despite making all 41 saves, and is 9-4-0 with a .919 save percentage and 2.27 goals-against average in 14 appearances this season.

With a victory on Tuesday, the 31-year-old would reach 10 victories in an NHL season for the first time since 2016-17 when he played 50 games for the Avalanche, finishing with a .904 SV% and 2.98 GAA despite recording a 15-31-2 record.

Oilers Projected Lineup vs. Montreal:

Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
McLeod - Draisaitl - Foegele
Kane - Henrique - Brown
Janmark - Carrick - Perry

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Ceci

Pickard
Skinner