PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Capitals

EDMONTON, AB – Stuart Skinner will get the start between the pipes for the Oilers on Wednesday night when they face off against Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals at Rogers Place.

Skinner needs one more victory to set a new career-high with 30 wins, which would surpass his 2022-23 total when he finished with a 29-14-5 record, and would become the first Oilers goalie since Cam Talbot in 2017-18 to reach 30 wins in a season if he can reach the mark tonight.

Earlier this season against Washington, Skinner stopped all 25 saves in a 5-0 victory to become the second Oilers netminder to ever earn a shutout over the Capitals alongside one of his childhood idols, Dwayne Roloson, who'd been the only one to ever do it with 19 saves and the shutout back on Oct. 28, 2006.

Wednesday's morning skate at Rogers Place was optional, so Edmonton's lines and defence pairings are based on Tuesday's full practice, which was the first on home ice for the likes of forwards Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick and defenceman Troy Stecher.

Oilers Projected Lineup vs. Washington:

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

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Desharnais
Kulak - Ceci
Stecher

Skinner
Pickard

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said on Tuesday that Stecher won't be in the lineup against the Capitals, but with the luxury of now having 22 players on the roster (13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goalies), there will be plenty of rotation in the lineup over the final 19 games of regular season to best manage the workload of the group heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"It is a luxury for the coaching staff to have some opportunities to have extra guys," Knoblauch said on Tuesday. "We’re pretty fortunate only having six defencemen for a while, and nothing happened and hopefully nothing does happen, but we feel that we’ve got a little bit more depth.

"If somebody’s banged up, we can make some changes – whether that’s the back end or forward."

The addition of some new players, including a top-six option in Adam Henrique, adds some extra flexibility for Coach Knoblauch when mulling over who to assemble beside their elite talent in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while creating a sense of competition in the top six for the likes of Evander Kane, Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Adam Henrique, Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark. So far, he's liked what he's seen so far from that forward group.

"I think they've handled it really well," he said. "We've been happy with Foegele and McLeod playing with Draisaitl. Janmark when he's had that opportunity, I think he's done well.

Coach Knoblauch said those decisions are made on a game-by-game basis, and he'd rather his players focus on playing well to help the team rather than for a promotion.

"I think also, whether we're on the road or at home, you always want a line that maybe has a little different chemistry or makeup for that game. Whether it's the other team putting more offensive players against them, or maybe you put a more reliable penalty-killer guy in that situation, or you need a little more speed because the lineup match is more of a checking slower line. There's always that, and then it's also who's playing well at that time. There's a lot of things that go on in those decisions about who plays with who.

"Ultimately, we're just trying to find out who's going to compliment Connor and Leon specifically at that time for that game."