Defenceman Oscar Klefbom returns to the Edmonton Oilers lineup Saturday night when they open a four-game homestand against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“It was boring to not be able to be on the ice and help the guys,” said Klefbom, who missed nine games with a shoulder injury. “Body feels good. It feels like I’m in good shape.”
“Without his minutes, everybody else has to take more minutes and you get them into stages where they get exposed a little bit,” head coach Dave Tippett said. “You add a player like that, it brings everybody back and keeps everybody where they should be.”
Klefbom has 33 points in 59 games and averages 25:35 of ice time per game.
Up front, Tippett will break up the dangerous line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and Kailer Yamamoto. Nugent-Hopkins moves to play with Connor McDavid and Zack Kassian.
“Trying to find some balance,” Tippett said. “We got some other things that I want to see get better in our group. We’ll try little tweaks.”
“We’ve played together before. That definitely helps,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I have be on my toes and be ready to go.”
The Oilers come into the game two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the Pacific Division.
Their expected lineup is:
Nugent-Hopkins — McDavid — Kassian
Ennis — Draisaitl — Yamamoto
Athanasiou — Sheahan — Archibald
Neal — Khaira — Chiasson
Klefbom — Larsson
Nurse — Bear
Russell — Jones
Koskinen
Catch the Oilers and Blue Jackets on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m. The game starts at 8 p.m.
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