PROJECTED LINEUP: Ceci & Kulak healthy; Perry takes top-six spot in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO – Defencemen Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak will be available for the Oilers when they visit Enterprise Center on Monday night to begin a two-game road trip against the Blues.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that the two blueliners are healthy and will be ready to return to the lineup tonight following some health hiccups in Edmonton’s 6-1 win over Anaheim on Saturday afternoon. Ceci missed the victory with an illness, while Kulak was only able to take his first shift and play 49 seconds before exiting with an apparent injury.

Stuart Skinner will get the start tonight against Jordan Binnington for the third time this season and the fifth time in his career following the two netminders' goaltending duel in Edmonton’s 3-2 overtime win during their last meeting back on Feb. 28 at Rogers Place.

Skinner made 32 saves to out-muster Binnington’s 33 stops on the night to help the Oilers claim the extra point. However, Edmonton's last visit to St. Louis back in mid-February wasn't as kind to Skinner, who surrendered five goals on 29 shots in a 6-3 defeat.

While there were no line rushes at Monday’s morning skate, forward Corey Perry was wearing top-six white and could be slotted in on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Adam Henrique over Warren Foegele, who would drop to the third line with Evander Kane and Ryan McLeod.

Coach Knoblauch sees the middle-six shuffle as a way of trying out some different combinations in preparation for playoffs, where matchups and other factors could influence certain changes.

“We're going to be altering the lines a little bit right through and into the playoffs,” he said. “So much is on what the other team's doing. Are they line-matching? Are they a team with speed? Are we down a goal or up a goal? Right now, just subtle changes to our lineup and little looks.

“I think Warren and Leon have been a good pair throughout the year, and they will be back playing together at some point, but right now we just wanted to give this a look.”

With no morning line rushes, Edmonton's full lineup will be confirmed during warm-ups.

Oilers Projected Lineup vs. St. Louis

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

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Kulak - Desharnais
Stecher

Skinner
Pickard