It’s the D the Edmonton Oilers have been waiting for all season long.
With Oscar Klefbom returning from a three-game absence to deal with a shoulder injury, the Oilers will have their top six defencemen in action Friday night when they host the Chicago Blackhawks.
“It’s a big positive for us. It’s a group that we had envisioned playing together for a long time,” head coach Todd McLellan said.
“Obviously, throughout the summer, we knew Sekera would be out for a while. It ended up being a little longer than we thought. We’re excited to get the group back. We have to keep in mind that Klef has been out for a bit. Sekera is just getting his feet wet and underneath him. They’re trying to evolve now and get accustomed to their partners.”
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers defenceman Andrej Sekera returns from torn ACL
Klefbom received an injection to deal with a nagging shoulder problem.
“Since late August,” Klefbom said when asked if this is the best he’s felt in a long time.
Get breaking National news
“It feels a lot better. I feel close to 100 per cent. I just want to get out there and play.”
READ MORE: Oscar Klefbom ready to return after missing 3 Edmonton Oilers games
The Oilers have gone 7-4-0 in December and have won three straight at home. They’re five points out of a playoff spot.
“The biggest thing we need to work on is our starts,” winger Jujhar Khaira said. “This is a huge game for us. We can’t give away points.”
Watch below: Klefbom practised with the Oilers on Thursday ahead of Friday’s game. He spoke to reporters Thursday.
The Oilers expected lineup is:
Lucic – McDavid – Puljujarvi
Maroon – Nugent-Hopkins – Caggiula
Khaira – Draisaitl – Strome
Cammalleri – Letestu – Kassian
Klefbom – Larsson
Nurse – Russell
Sekera – Benning
Talbot
Catch the Oilers and Blackhawks on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.