The injury bug is taking a big bite out of the Edmonton Oilers.
Friday morning, the Oilers announced that defencemen Darnell Nurse and Slater Koekkoek had both been placed on injured reserve.
Head coach Dave Tipett said Nurse suffered a broken finger during overtime of Thursday night’s 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets. Nurse, who is expected to miss two to three weeks, leads the Oilers in ice time with 26:06 per game.
“It’s a cliché thing to say, but not one guy is going to take the minutes. You’re going to have to spread it around a little bit,” said Tippett.
Koekkoek suffered a lower body injury against the Jets and is out three to four weeks.
Goalie Mike Smith was placed on long-term injured reserve and remains week-to-week. He was hurt in the Oilers third game of the season on Oct. 19.
Defencemen Philip Broberg and William Lagesson have been called up from the minors. Broberg, the Oilers first round draft pick in 2019, will likely make his NHL debut in the near future.
“We’re going to find out how his progress is. I’ve watched some games in the American League. He’s playing in all situations. He’s playing big minutes down. He’s played better than he did in camp,” explained Tippett.
Centre Derek Ryan missed the game against the Jets after experiencing concussion symptoms.
“He skated before the guys today. He won’t be a player tomorrow, but he’ll on the trip with us,” said Tippett.
The Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night. Catch the game on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m. The game will start at 8 p.m.
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