EDMONTON, AB – The Oilers could be welcoming Ryan McLeod back to the lineup on Tuesday night from his one-game absence when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Place in search of their 11th straight victory.
McLeod missed Saturday's 2-1 overtime win in Montreal that set Edmonton's franchise-record win streak at 10 games, but the 24-year-old was a full participant during Monday's practice and looks poised to make the jump back into the lineup in between Mattias Janmark and Derek Ryan on the third line.
The Mississauga, Ont. product had produced steady results alongside Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele before missing Saturday's game with an illness, recording four goals and four assists in 10 games, but it was Evander Kane taking the left-wing spot at Monday's practice as he approaches the 600-point mark in his career, needing only two points to reach the milestone.
Sam Gagner was the extra forward on Monday, while defenceman Phil Kemp was the seventh defenceman after playing 2:03 in his NHL debut against the Canadiens – mainly as a winger with McLeod being a late scratch from the lineup due to illness.
Stuart Skinner will start between the pipes against the Maple Leafs with a 14-2-0 record in his last 16 games, including a 1.87 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.
"There's a lot of lessons to be learned, a lot of growth that I've had personally to bring me to where it is now," Skinner said of his game. "I know that I got a lot better hockey still to play. It's inevitable that when you keep on working hard, keep on growing and keep on learning from the mistakes that you make. I would just say the more experience I get, the better."
Tuesday's pre-game skate for the Oilers was optional, so lines will be confirmed during tonight's pre-game warmup at Rogers Place.
