PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Blues

EDMONTON, AB – Head Coach Kris Knoblauch will keep the same lineup from Monday's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night when the Edmonton Oilers wrap up a five-game homestand at Rogers Place against the St. Louis Blues.

"I Liked our four lines," Knoblauch said. "I thought they contributed and I thought they played well, so we're not making any changes."

This morning's skate was optional, but forward Derek Ryan was out on the ice after missing Tuesday's full-team practice after being deemed day-to-day by Knoblauch in yesterday's media availability.

The 37-year-old is anticipated to be in the lineup tonight and retake his position at fourth-line centre between Dylan Holloway and Connor Brown.

Holloway is included on that fourth line in his more unfamiliar position at left wing, but the 22-year-old Calgary product enjoys playing a versatile role similar to the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan McLeod, who've each spent significant time this season playing on the wing instead of their natural centre positions.

"I think centre, you definitely get more puck touches. It's a bigger role," Holloway said. "You're more responsible defensively as opposed to the wing. I'm comfortable in either position. At centre, you kind of get more puck touches and a little bit more involved, so I like that part about playing center but I like playing both positions."

After a few games of trialling some different D pairings, the Oilers have been deploying their regular combinations on the back end that've given them sustained success this season despite some defensive struggles since the All-Star Break.

Defenceman Darnell Nurse spoke to that cohesion among Edmonton's defencemen, saying that having a consistent partner and responsibilities not only helps the pairing develop chemistry but the entire defensive corps from the top pair down to the third pair.

"I think it's nice not even just partner to partner, but for the whole group of six," Nurse said. "There's a lot of ownership in our group and a lot of ton of cohesion, and I think every guy in there really cares about the guy beside him.

"I think that's been a huge part of why our D core has continued to grow and get better and better as the years gone on, because there's that level of commitment to each other and all the amount of work and sacrifice that we put in side by side.

"I think it's brought the group really close."

View the Oilers projected lineup vs. St. Louis:

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

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Kulak - Desharnais

Skinner
Pickard