TORONTO, ON – The Edmonton Oilers are loading up the top line and making a few tweaks to their lineup for Saturday night's clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Hockey Night in Canada.
Zach Hyman will be looking to reach 50 goals for the first time in his career against his hometown team, and the Oilers winger will have Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid feeding him pucks with his total currently sitting at 48 goals through 66 games played.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to centre two Toronto-area products in Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele on the second line, while Evander Kane was in his former spot at third-line left wing with Adam Henrique and Corey Perry.
Connor Brown, another former Maple Leafs forward who came up with Hyman and Carrick back in 2015-16 as a member of the Marlies, Toronto's AHL Affiliate, will slot in on the fourth line with Mattias Janmark and Sam Carrick for the second straight game over Derek Ryan, who'll be a healthy scratch on Saturday night.
Defenceman Vincent Desharnais is expected to play, says Head Coach Kris Knoblauch, which would leave Troy Stecher as the odd defenceman out after he filled in for the 6-foot-7 defenceman for two straight games while he worked his way back from a minor hand injury.
Stuart Skinner was in the starter's net and will be between the pipes against the Maple Leafs for the fourth time in his career, sporting a 2-1-0 record against the Buds with a .891 save percentage and 3.36 goals-against average.
