The Oilers are expected to have some changes in the lines tonight when they take on the Blue Jackets. It was confirmed after morning skate by Jay Woodcroft that Evander Kane will not dress due to some personal issues.
In his stead, it looks likely that Mattias Janmark will return to the Oilers lineup after missing two games due to injury. The 30-year-old's minutes were missed as the forward had not played fewer than 16:26 in any of the four games that started the Oilers win streak. Over those four games, Janmark had recorded a goal and three assists, with 11 shots on goal, and a plus-5 rating.
Stuart Skinner will start in net for the Oilers. The recently named NHL All-Star is coming off an excellent performance in Vancouver where he turned aside 27 of 29 shots against the Canucks in the victory.
The 24-year-old is proving to be a perfect complement to Oilers offseason addition in Jack Campbell, who has been playing his best hockey since signing with the Blue & Orange as of late. Campbell has a 5-0-0 record with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in his last five games.
While 'Soup' struggled early in the season, Skinner held down the fort and proved himself to be one of the better young netminders in the NHL as evident by his solid .915 save percentage this year and his All-Star honours.
"I never had the thought that he'd go to the NHL All Star Game. I didn't put a limit on it. I just didn't think like that. I felt right from the first time I got to see him that he had some attributes of a really good NHL goaltender," Woodcroft said about Skinner. "He is big, has a level of athleticism to him, is in great shape, and is technically very sound. I think along the way, he really grew in other parts of his game, specifically on the mental side. The ability to handle a big workload, and an ability to go through this early adulthood while shouldering the huge responsibility of being a starting goaltender in the American League."
"I see a quiet confidence about I see somebody who instills confidence or belief from into the team," Woodcroft continued. "I see someone who his teammates play hard for. So what type of guy is he? To me, he's a good example of what a great teammate is."
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com